Why do most people fail at achieving their goals? They’re not setting them properly. They’re not clear goals. They’re either too big, too small, or not defined. So what’s the best way to set goals to make sure you actually achieve them?

First off, make sure you’re not setting too big or too small of a goal. When the goal you set is really big, it feels insurmountable and distant to meet. It becomes an intimidating goal that you feel unqualified to reach.

On the flip side, a goal that’s too small breeds complacency. Each time you hit a small goal, it’ll become even more difficult to challenge yourself.

The key is to break your bigger goal into smaller steps. It needs to be quantifiable, objective, and have a deadline attached to it. Track the progress you make every day, week, month, or year—however you choose to measure your progress, keep a tab on it.

For an example, let’s say you want to improve your knowledge of Adobe Illustrator. That’s a pretty broad statement and not focused enough. What is it about Illustrator you want to be more familiar with? Break down the steps you think you need to take to get a better grip on Illustrator, and the goal will be much more approachable to accomplish.

What can you do now? For starters, write your goal(s) down from now on if you haven’t already. If your goal is clear, the results are clear.

Think of a goal you’ve set for yourself but haven’t been able to achieve yet. Revisit it with the new concepts you’ve picked up in this video, and see what changes.