How to Set Goals You’ll Actually Stick To: The Boss Babe Goal-Setting Method 🎀
Setting goals is easy.
January comes around and suddenly we're going to save more money, go to the gym five times a week, start a business, wake up at 5 AM, read 24 books, drink more water, completely reorganize our lives and somehow become a new person by February.
Then real life happens.
Work gets busy.
You get tired.
Something unexpected comes up.
Motivation disappears.
And the goal quietly moves from:
“I'm doing this.”
to:
“I'll start again next Monday.”
If this sounds familiar, the problem might not be that you're lazy or undisciplined.
Sometimes the problem is simply that the goal was never turned into a realistic plan.
Wanting something is only the beginning.
You also need to know what you're actually working toward, what actions will get you there, when you'll do them and how you'll know whether you're making progress.
That's why I created the Boss Babe Goal-Setting Method.
It's simple:
Dream → Define → Break It Down → Schedule It → Track It → Review It
Instead of writing down a goal and hoping motivation carries you through the next six months, this method gives your goal somewhere to go.
Let's break it down.
Step 1: DREAM ✨
Before worrying about deadlines, spreadsheets or action plans, give yourself permission to think about what you actually want.
Not what looks impressive online.
Not what your family thinks you should be doing.
Not what everyone else your age seems to be accomplishing.
What do you want?
Maybe you want to:
Save enough money for a car
Start a side business
Become more confident in your career
Lose weight or become stronger
Finish your degree
Pay off debt
Build an emergency fund
Travel
Move into your own place
Start selling digital products
Improve your relationship with money
Become more organized
Create a healthier routine
At this stage, don't worry about making it perfectly realistic.
Start with the bigger picture.
Ask yourself:
If the next year went really well, what would be different about my life?
Then write it down.
Example:
Dream:
I want to feel financially secure and stop constantly worrying about money.
That's meaningful.
But it's still too broad to become an actionable goal.
That's where the next step comes in.
Step 2: DEFINE IT 🎯
A vague goal creates vague action.
Compare:
“I want to save more money.”
with:
“I want to save $6,000 over the next 12 months.”
Now you have something you can work with.
Your goal should answer questions like:
What exactly am I trying to accomplish?
How much?
By when?
How will I know I've achieved it?
For example:
Instead of:
“I want to get fit.”
Try:
“I want to strength train three times per week for the next three months.”
Instead of:
“I want to start a business.”
Try:
“I want to launch my first digital product and make my first five sales within three months.”
Instead of:
“I want to be better with money.”
Try:
“I want to build a $3,000 emergency fund by December.”
Specific goals are easier to measure.
And what you can measure, you can manage.
Step 3: BREAK IT DOWN 💗
This is where most big goals become much less intimidating.
A $6,000 savings goal sounds huge.
Saving $500 per month feels more manageable.
And depending on how often you're paid, that could become:
$250 per payday.
Suddenly, you're not trying to “save $6,000.”
You're trying to complete one small action every payday.
The same applies to almost every goal.
Big Goal:
Start a side business.
Break it down:
Week 1 — Choose your business idea
Week 2 — Create your offer
Week 3 — Set your pricing
Week 4 — Create your business page
Week 5 — Start promoting
Week 6 — Reach out to potential customers
Big Goal:
Improve my fitness.
Break it down:
Monday — Workout
Wednesday — Workout
Friday — Workout
Sunday — Meal preparation
Daily — Drink more water
Your big goal tells you where you're going.
Your smaller tasks tell you what to do next.
And “what do I do next?” is one of the most important questions in goal setting.
Step 4: SCHEDULE IT 📅
This might be the most important step in the entire Boss Babe Goal-Setting Method.
Because if your goal doesn't have time assigned to it, it will constantly get pushed behind whatever feels urgent.
Think about this.
You say:
“I want to start a business.”
But your calendar has:
Work.
Appointments.
Gym.
Dinner.
Errands.
Social plans.
Netflix.
Everything except:
Work on business.
Then three months later you're wondering why the business hasn't started.
A goal needs time.
Instead of:
“Work on my side hustle this week.”
Schedule:
Tuesday, 6:00 PM–8:00 PM — Create product
Thursday, 6:00 PM–7:30 PM — Work on sales page
Saturday, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM — Create promotional content
Now your goal has somewhere to live.
The same applies to financial goals.
Schedule your savings transfer.
Schedule your monthly budget review.
Schedule your meal prep.
Schedule your study time.
Schedule the walk.
Schedule the business task.
Not every goal needs hours of work every day.
Sometimes two focused hours every week can completely change what you're able to accomplish over a year.
Step 5: TRACK IT 📊
Goals become much more motivating when you can actually see progress.
Track the behaviour or number that matters.
If your goal is saving money, track:
How much you've saved.
If your goal is fitness, track:
How many workouts you've completed.
If your goal is starting a business, track:
Products created, customers contacted or sales made.
If your goal is studying, track:
Study sessions or chapters completed.
Don't track everything.
Track what tells you whether you're moving forward.
Example: Savings Goal
Goal: $6,000
January: $500 ✅
February: $500 ✅
March: $350
April: $650
Total: $2,000
Even if one month didn't go perfectly, you can see your overall progress.
That matters.
Progress is rarely perfectly linear.
Step 6: REVIEW IT 🔄
Your goal is not a contract you're forbidden from changing.
Life changes.
Priorities change.
Income changes.
Work becomes busier.
Unexpected expenses happen.
Maybe you realize the original plan wasn't realistic.
That's why reviewing your goals matters.
At the end of each month, ask:
What progress did I make?
What worked well?
What didn't work?
What kept getting in the way?
Do I need to change the goal or change the plan?
What should I focus on next month?
For example, maybe you planned to work on your side hustle five evenings per week.
After one month, you're exhausted.
That doesn't necessarily mean you should quit.
Maybe the better plan is:
Two focused evenings instead of five exhausted ones.
Adjusting the strategy is not failing the goal.
Sometimes it's exactly what helps you achieve it.
The Boss Babe Goal-Setting Method in Action 🎀
Let's take one goal from beginning to end.
Example Goal: Build a $6,000 Savings Fund
DREAM
I want to feel more financially secure and have money available for emergencies.
DEFINE
I will save $6,000 within 12 months.
BREAK IT DOWN
$6,000 ÷ 12 months = $500 per month.
If I'm paid twice monthly:
$500 ÷ 2 = $250 per payday.
SCHEDULE IT
Every payday:
Transfer $250 into savings immediately.
First Sunday of every month:
Review my budget and savings progress.
TRACK IT
Month 1 — $500
Month 2 — $1,000
Month 3 — $1,500
Continue until the goal is reached.
REVIEW IT
At the end of each month:
Did I save $500?
If not, why?
Do I need to reduce an expense?
Can I increase side-hustle income?
Can I make up the difference next month?
Now “I want to save money” has become an actual system.
Another Example: Starting a Small Business 💻
Let's say your goal is:
Launch a digital-product business.
Using the Boss Babe Method:
DREAM
I want an additional income stream that I can grow alongside my job.
DEFINE
I want to launch my first digital product within eight weeks.
BREAK IT DOWN
Week 1 — Research product idea
Week 2 — Plan product
Week 3–4 — Create product
Week 5 — Design cover and graphics
Week 6 — Create product listing
Week 7 — Prepare marketing content
Week 8 — Launch
SCHEDULE IT
Tuesday evenings — Product creation
Thursday evenings — Marketing
Saturday mornings — Business admin
TRACK IT
Track:
Products completed
Content created
Website visits
Sales
Customer feedback
REVIEW IT
After launch:
What worked?
Where did customers come from?
Which posts performed best?
What should I improve before creating my second product?
Notice how much clearer that feels than:
“I want to start a business someday.”
One More Example: Improving Your Fitness 🏋🏽♀️
DREAM
I want to feel stronger, healthier and more energetic.
DEFINE
I will strength train three times per week for the next 12 weeks.
BREAK IT DOWN
Monday — Lower body
Wednesday — Upper body
Friday — Full body
Sunday — Meal preparation
SCHEDULE IT
Add each workout directly to your weekly schedule.
TRACK IT
Track:
Workouts completed
Strength improvements
Energy levels
Consistency
REVIEW IT
At the end of the month:
Did three workouts per week fit my schedule?
What days worked best?
What kept me from going?
What can I adjust next month?
Simple.
Specific.
Flexible.
Why Most Goals Fail
Sometimes we assume goals fail because we weren't motivated enough.
But motivation is unreliable.
You're not going to wake up every day feeling excited to:
Save money.
Study.
Exercise.
Work on your business.
Cook.
Build a new skill.
Some days you will.
Some days you absolutely will not.
That's why your system matters more than your mood.
Instead of asking:
“Do I feel motivated today?”
Ask:
“What did I already decide I was going to do today?”
That tiny mindset shift makes a huge difference.
Don't Create 15 Major Goals at Once
Another reason goals become overwhelming?
Too many priorities.
If everything is important, nothing is important.
You might want to improve your:
Career.
Money.
Fitness.
Relationships.
Business.
Education.
Home.
Mental wellbeing.
Social life.
And that's fine.
But you don't need ten major goals in every category at the same time.
Try choosing:
1 major financial goal
1 personal or health goal
1 career/business goal
Then allow smaller habits to support them.
For example:
Money
Save $5,000.
Health
Exercise three times per week.
Career
Complete one professional course.
Simple goals are much easier to remember and manage.
Make Your Goals Fit Your Real Life
Your goal-setting system should work around the life you actually have.
Not your imaginary life where:
You never get tired.
Nobody needs anything from you.
Work is never stressful.
You never get sick.
Your friends never make plans.
And you somehow have four spare hours every evening.
Look at your real schedule.
If you work full-time, your goal plan needs to fit around your job.
If you're studying, allow for exams and assignments.
If you have children, plan around childcare.
If certain weeks are always extremely busy, reduce your expectations during those periods.
A realistic plan you follow is far more powerful than an impressive plan you abandon.
Use the “Minimum Version” Rule
Here is a simple trick for staying consistent when life gets busy:
Create a minimum version of your goal.
For example:
Normal workout: 60 minutes
Minimum version: 20-minute workout
Normal study session: 2 hours
Minimum version: 30 minutes
Normal business session: 3 hours
Minimum version: 45 minutes
Normal savings goal: $500
Difficult month minimum: $200
The goal is not to constantly lower your standards.
It's to avoid the all-or-nothing mindset.
Sometimes doing something smaller keeps the habit alive.
And consistency matters.
Your Boss Babe Goal-Setting Checklist 💕
Whenever you're setting a new goal, ask:
☐ DREAM: What do I really want?
☐ DEFINE: What exactly am I trying to accomplish?
☐ BREAK IT DOWN: What smaller actions will get me there?
☐ SCHEDULE IT: When will I actually work on it?
☐ TRACK IT: How will I measure progress?
☐ REVIEW IT: What's working and what needs to change?
That's it.
Six steps.
No complicated productivity system required.
Your Goal Needs More Than a Vision Board
Vision boards can be fun.
Affirmations can be motivating.
Writing down your dream life can help you understand what you want.
But eventually the vision has to become action.
The dream becomes a goal.
The goal becomes a plan.
The plan becomes a schedule.
The schedule becomes action.
And repeated action creates results.
You don't need to transform your entire life this week.
You just need to know your next step.
Then take it.
Put Your Goals on the Calendar 🎀
A goal becomes much easier to achieve when it has a place in your calendar.
Use the Boss Babe Weekly & Monthly Planner to turn your bigger goals into monthly priorities, weekly tasks and dedicated time blocks.
Inside your planner, you can:
✨ Set your big goal for the month
🎯 Choose your top priorities
📅 Schedule the actions that move your goal forward
💰 Plan your financial goals
💗 Write affirmations that support the mindset you're building
📝 Review your progress and adjust as you go
Instead of keeping your goals in your head, give them somewhere to live.
💕 Plan Your Goals With the Boss Babe Planner
A goal becomes much easier to achieve when it has a place in your calendar. Plan your month and week inside the Boss Babe Planner.
Dream it.
Define it.
Break it down.
Schedule it.
Track it.
Review it.
Then keep showing up.
Plan it. Work for it. Become her. 🎀💗
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