Ultimately there is only one way to do something: to do it. If you want to go to Ocean City thinking about it is insufficient, the only way to get there is to pack your bags and get going. The dream is wonderful: It can encourage. It can motivate. It can invigorate. But if the people with this dream never sit down to do it, then it remains a fantasy.

How do we do this? You sit down and do it. It’s really that simple. Once the group sits down what needs to be done is obvious. The group writes down exactly what they want to accomplish and sets out a serious of intermediate goals that allow them to achieve their end objective. By creating intermediate goals they give themselves concrete, achievable steps to their goal. The ultimate objective has a tendency to be ephemeral and out of reach, intermediate goals are achievable. By giving themselves a time frame the group gains motivation. They don’t have forever to play around, no, they have things to do to.

A goal must have several features to be useful to the group. First, it must be simple, if the goal is ephemeral, complicated, or difficult to understand, then achieving it becomes likewise. Second, it must be trackable and measurable. There needs to be a way of knowing how close you are to achieving that goal, and when you have succeeded in achieving that goal. Otherwise the group in question tends to become frustrated. The goal must be achievable, no one wants to waste their time, but challenging, otherwise there is no accomplishment. Although it might seem to go without saying, the goal must also be relevant. There is no point in having an objective of getting fit and a goal of playing Madden six hours a week. Lastly, a goal that transfers is helpful. If the success of this goal helps the people working on it in many aspects of their lives, or the group’s other goals, than there is still greater motivation to achieve it.

However, accomplishing an objective cannot be achieved through jumping to the end, or by ignoring the logistics of the situation. Nor can it be achieved by simply wishing it so. In order to achieve your objective, you must work on it and achieve it.