Define a value, a goal and the steps to get there

Yesterday, I posted about the importance of having long term goals. Today, I describe one of my goals and how I plan to achieve it.

One of the things that I value is my environment. Its very important that I am content where I am living, working and playing. I was raised in the country and took much of it for granted at the time. However, after living in a large metroplex, I know exactly how important my environment is to my happiness. For instance I place a high value on clean air, low traffic, easy lifestyle pace, elbow room, privacy and natural surroundings (no concrete for me). My long term goal is to live on a small acreage in the country.

Now, how do I plan on getting there? First, I define a short term goal. My short term goal (2-3 years) is to sell my current home in the city.

Breaking that down even more to a 1 year goal, I have listed things that I need to do before I can sell my home. For instance, I want to replace a couple of windows, paint the exterior fascia, replace a shower stall and learn about selling a home by owner. I list these specific tasks and the timeframe that I plan to accomplish them. Because I know that these tasks are directly related to my long term goal, I am more motivated to get them done. And it feels great to check them off one by one knowing that I am making progress towards my ultimate goal.