The thought of drawing up a plan can scare people. Now they have their goal, the prospect of actually trying to achieve it can make them freeze like a rabbit in the headlights.
Actually, drawing up a plan is easier than you think. The key is to start at the end and work backwards. In other words, start at the point where you've successfully reached your goal, and work backwards to now.
This way you KNOW that everything you want to do is achievable.
You'll know before you do this, you have to do that, and before you can do that, you have to do something else.
And…
If your plan is NOT going to be achievable, you'll know soon enough.
“Before I can do this, I have to do that, and before I do that I've got to… Ah. Problem.”
Once you've worked your way back from there to here, you can use these steps to formulate your strategy. Now, work forwards towards your goal and work out what tactics you'll need to employ to complete each task.
TIP: Don't devise your tactics too far ahead of time. That way, you can act quickly to changing circumstances and still keep on track to achieving your goal. In fact, keeping things flexible allows you to take advantage of new opportunities when they present themselves, and maybe even make your plan better and reach your goal faster.