Not where you want to be? It's your own fault.

Goals. Why do we need them? Well, for one thing, without goals we'd likely never accomplish ANYTHING. Goals can be short- or long-term; both are important. Pass a test. Score a date with that hottie you've had your eye on; land your dream job; compete in 5k, mud run, CrossFit challenge, or figure competition; finally get the body you've been dreaming of...

It's great to have big goals and even bigger dreams - but without an action plan, they will remain eternally out of reach.

Whether you're trying to get a job or a date or trying to increase your bench press, the one step that is absolutely critical to your success is...well,  to take many smaller steps.

For example, trying to get a date with that woman you've been watching? What do you know about her? Does she even know your name? If you want to catch a woman's eye, you need to know what she likes; where she spends some of her time; even who she hangs with. Just be careful when you do your recon or she'll think you're a stalker. If you can learn anything about her, you're more likely to get her to say yes.

Your chances in achieving anything improve dramatically when you've done your homework and even laid some groundwork. To accomplish goals in life requires (for most of us) diligence, consistency, hard work and maybe even a little luck -- ok, a LOT of luck.

If you're not where you want to be at this point in your career, your life, your fitness (insert goal here), it's time to ask yourself, "Have I taken the steps needed to get me from point A to point G?" And be honest with yourself. If you haven't been doing the work, how can you honestly expect to achieve results? Once you've admitted to yourself that you've been a slacker, it's time to do some work.

Make a list

Start with one goal and work backwards. What will it take to get there? Break it down into as many smaller steps as you can - and be specific. For example, if you want to get ripped, you can't just write "eat better and exercise." The details matter. Here's an example of a specific step you can take that will help you shed body fat: "Cut out gluten and eat 1.5g protein per lb of lean body mass each day." See? Specific. Here are some more steps that will help you on your way: Train heavy splits 3x's a week. HIIT sprint intervals three times a week."

See what I mean?

Next, accomplish one little goal at a time. 

In this example, just cutting out gluten could be the first step. Once you've mastered that, move on to increasing protein. You get the picture. 

It's great to have big goals and even bigger dreams - but without an action plan, they will remain eternally out of reach. By breaking them down into smaller, more achievable goals, you will find that reaching your destination is literally as easy as 1-2-3 (4-5-6-7-8...)