If you want to achieve your goals, you first have to have them.

About a year ago a very smart business woman asked me, “How are you going to get where you want to go if you don’t know where that is?” That question has stuck with me and now is one of the very first questions I ask my clients when working with them on creating and mapping out their Big Vision Road Map.

After all, how will you know what actions to take if you don’t have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish?

How do you know your short-term goals will help you move forward and toward your big, long-term goals?

The answer to all of these questions starts with the exploration and creation of your Big Vision Road Map, which not only outlines where your journey will end, but how you are going to get there and what possible stops you may make along the way.

A highly effective road map has three levels of information and guidance:

1. The High-level Overview
   This is your overall big vision of who you want to be, where you want to be, what you want to have achieved, what you will be doing, how you will be known, etc. When working with my clients on this phase, we look not only at the surface elements, but at the behind-the-scenes motivators and drivers of each element.
2. The Mid-level Process Map
   This is the comprehensive breakdown of your high-level vision into tangible actions and achievable goals. These are incremental progress steps, that when accomplished, move you closer and closer toward making your high-level vision a reality.
3. The Micro-level Action Plan
   This is the further breakdown of your mid-level goals into individual smaller objectives you need to achieve on your journey to your big vision.

Remember, like any journey you take, the is the possibility you will hit construction, traffic, delays, detours, and maybe even a flat tire or two. The key is to keep making progress, even if it just baby steps, to get back on course and moving toward your big vision.