Goals are not a to-do list. You should have one or two in each category. You don’t need to know how you’ll accomplish a goal; just that it’s something that will make you happy or fulfilled once it’s accomplished. Think about the list as items make their way onto the page. If you start to feel worried or burdened, reconsider whether an item belongs.

Choose a variety of goals, including some easy ones you can knock out within a week or a month, and at least one that will take all year to accomplish. As you confirm each goal, map out an action plan for accomplishing each item, with dates and specific to-do actions.

One important way to help you achieve goals is to proclaim them to the world. Share them with family, friends, and colleagues. Post them on your desk where you can see them every day. Carry them in your notebook if you travel. Each time you speak about them, you’ll make them more real. The spoken word is powerful, and the very act of saying them out loud builds energy toward realizing them.