How to Take Action on Your Goals (Get-To-It-Tive-Ness)

Take Action on Your Goals Today: Your Action Plan at a Glance

Jump To: Your Action Plan at a Glance | What It Means to Take Action on Your Goals | Get-To-It-Tive-Ness: Your Personal Action Plan Definition | Six Steps to Start Taking Action on Your Goals | Success Lesson #23: Today Is The Day! | Quick Exercise: Turn One Goal into Immediate Action | Keep Your Momentum Going | Download eBook

What It Really Means to Take Action on Your Goals

Taking action on your goals is more than staying busy or adding tasks to your to‑do list. It means deliberately doing the specific things that move you closer to the future you want - making the call, starting the project, having the hard conversation, practicing the skill - whether you feel ready or not.

When you truly understand what it means to take action on your goals, you stop waiting for perfect conditions and start creating momentum through small, consistent steps every day.

A Simple Definition of Taking Action on Your Goals

In the context of this course, taking action on your goals means turning your written plans into consistent, visible behavior. It’s the phone calls you make, the conversations you start, the skills you practice, and the work you do that move you closer to your desired outcomes, day after day.

People who regularly take action on their goals don’t wait to “feel ready.” They decide what matters most, break it into clear next steps, and then do the next right thing - even when they’re tired, busy, or uncertain. That’s how they build momentum and eventually achieve results that others only talk about.

Why Most People Struggle to Take Action

If you’ve ever set an inspiring goal and then watched it quietly fade into the background of daily life, you’re not alone. Most people struggle to take meaningful action to achieve their goals because:

• They don’t have a strong enough “why” behind the goal.
• The goal feels too big and overwhelming.
• They haven’t decided what to do today, specifically.
• They let distractions, fear, or comfort win the day.

The difference between people who achieve their goals and those who don’t is rarely intelligence or talent. It usually comes down to one simple thing: who is willing to do what others aren’t, consistently.

That’s where Get-To-It-Tive-Ness comes in.

Get-To-It-Tive-Ness: Your Personal Action Plan Definition

Get-To-It-Tive-Ness is your personal, practical definition of an action plan in motion. Instead of being just words on a page, it’s the attitude and habit of taking action on your goals right now - doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, even when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient.

When you develop Get-To-It-Tive-Ness, your plans stop living in your notebook and start showing up in your daily behavior, one intentional step at a time.

Your Real “Action Plan Definition”

In this Goal Setting for Success course, we take a slightly different approach to the idea of an “action plan definition.” Your real action plan definition isn’t just words on a page - it’s your daily behavior.

In this spirit, we offer you this action plan definition:

Get-To-It-Tive-Ness – what successful people possess and exhibit routinely as they take action on their goals.

This is the quality that turns your Master Action Plan (M.A.P.) into progress. It’s the difference between a leader who talks about change and a leader who creates it.

How Successful People Think Differently

Successful people are the sort of individuals who, when they see a piece of trash on the office floor, don’t think twice about picking it up and throwing it away. They don’t wait for someone else to act. They act.

They see something that needs to be done and they do it. They go the extra mile their competition isn’t willing to travel. This same attitude is how they take action on their goals:

• They are quick to start, not slow to “get around to it.”
• They keep commitments to themselves, not just to others.
• They focus on what they can do today, not what they wish would happen someday.

A Small Example from Everyday Leadership

Imagine two managers walking through the same office.

• The first manager notices a problem, shakes their head, and walks on.
• The second manager notices the same problem and asks, “What can I do about this right now?” Then they take one small step.

That second manager is practicing Get-To-It-Tive-Ness. That same habit, applied to your personal and professional goals, is how you start taking action on your goals in a way that sets you apart.

Six Steps to Start Taking Action on Your Goals

In an earlier chapter, we explored The Price of Admission and how to build your Master Action Plan (M.A.P.). Now it’s time to put that plan into motion. Use this simple six‑step framework to move from planning to doing so you consistently take action on your goals, one day at a time.

Step 1 – What Do I Want to Achieve?

In 1 sentence: Get crystal clear on the specific result you want so you can take focused action on your goals instead of staying busy but unfocused.

When you write down your goal, be as vivid and specific as possible.

• What does success look like in real‑world terms?
• How will you know you’ve achieved it?

For example, “Increase monthly sales by 15% in the next 90 days by improving follow‑up with existing clients” is more powerful than “grow my business.”

Do this today:
Choose one important goal and write it down clearly in a sentence you can read out loud. Post it where you will see it every day.

Watch out for:
Vague goals like “do better” or “be more productive.” If you can’t describe the outcome clearly, it will be much harder to take meaningful action to achieve your goals.

Step 2 – Why Do I Want to Achieve It?

In 1 sentence: Connect your goal to a powerful personal reason so you have the emotional fuel to keep taking action when progress feels slow.

Next, write down why this goal truly matters to you.

• What will change in your life, business, or leadership if you achieve it?
• Who else will benefit when you follow through?

Your “why” is what keeps you moving when obstacles show up. Without a strong reason, it’s easy to let a good goal quietly fade into the background of daily life.

Do this today:
Underneath your written goal, write at least three reasons why achieving this goal is important to you and to the people you lead or serve.

Watch out for:
Setting goals you “think you should” want, but don’t really care about. It’s very difficult to take action on goals that aren’t truly your own.

Step 3 – What’s It Going to Take to Get There?

In 1 sentence: Turn your big goal into a practical action plan by identifying the skills, resources, and repeated actions it will take to reach the finish line.

Now, think realistically about what it will take to achieve your goal.

Ask yourself:

• What skills do I need to develop or strengthen?
• What resources, tools, or support will I need?
• What specific actions will I need to repeat week after week?

For each major action, answer these questions:

• How much?
• Of what?
• By when?
• By whom?

This is where you start transforming a wish into a real action plan to achieve your goals.

Do this today:
List the top three recurring actions that will have the biggest impact on your goal (for example, “call three prospects per day” or “review team metrics every Friday”).

Watch out for:
Underestimating the level of effort required. When you’re honest about the real price of admission, it becomes easier to commit and follow through.

Step 4 – What Can I Do Today?

In 1 sentence: Decide on one small but meaningful step you can take in the next 24 hours so you start taking action on your goals immediately.

This is where Get‑To‑It‑Tive‑Ness really shows up.

Ask: “What can I do today, within the next 24 hours, to move one small step closer to my goal?”

• Choose one meaningful action you can complete today.
• Make it specific and realistic, not vague and overwhelming.

Examples:

• Call one potential client.
• Spend 30 focused minutes working on your proposal.
• Draft the outline of your next training session.

The key is to start taking action on your goals today, not “when things slow down” or “when you feel more ready.”

Do this today:
Write down one clear action you will take before the day ends, and commit to finishing it no matter what.

Watch out for:
Letting yourself off the hook with “I’ll start next week” or choosing tasks that feel like motion but don’t truly move the goal forward.

Step 5 – When and Where Will I Do This Work?

In 1 sentence: Put your action on the calendar with a specific time and place so it becomes a real commitment, not just a good intention.

A goal without a time and place is just a wish. To make sure you actually take action:

• Put your chosen action on your calendar.
• Decide exactly when and where you’ll do the work.

Instead of saying, “I’ll work on my goals this week,” say:

“On Tuesday at 7:00 pm, I’ll spend 30 minutes at my desk outlining my next three marketing emails.”

By scheduling your actions, you stop procrastinating and start taking action on your goals like a professional.

Do this today:
Open your calendar and block a specific time and place to complete the action you chose in Step 4.

Watch out for:
Leaving your most important actions floating on a to‑do list with no appointment time. What doesn’t get scheduled usually doesn’t get done.

Step 6 – How Will I Track My Progress?

In 1 sentence: Choose a simple way to measure your actions and results so you can stay motivated, see your progress, and make smart adjustments.

Finally, decide how you’ll monitor and track your progress.

You might:

• Use your Master Action Plan (M.A.P.) tool from this course.
• Review your goals and actions once a week.
• Keep a simple “wins” journal where you record daily actions taken.

What matters most is that you have a clear, visible way to see that you are taking action to achieve your goals, not just thinking about them.

Do this today:
Decide how you will track your actions for this goal over the next 30 days, and set a recurring weekly reminder to review your progress.

Watch out for:
Relying on memory alone. When you don’t track your actions, it’s easy to underestimate how little you’re doing or to lose motivation when progress feels slow.

"First say to yourself what you would be;
and then do what you have to do."

- Epictetus

Success Lesson #23: Today Is The Day!

Get-to-it-ive leaders don’t rely on tomorrow. They understand that success is built one day at a time, with the actions they choose right now.

If you want to take action on your goals the way successful people do, you must adopt the mindset that today is the day:

• Today is the day you make the call.
• Today is the day you have the conversation.
• Today is the day you start, even if you can only take one small step.

Waiting for the “perfect time” is one of the most common ways people quietly give up on their goals. The perfect time rarely arrives. The only time you ever truly have control over is now.

A Simple “Today Is The Day” Process

To make “Today is the day!” practical, follow this short process right now:

1. Choose one important goal.
2. Write down one clear action you can complete in the next 30 minutes.
3. Remove one distraction so you can focus (silence your phone, close email, shut your door).
4. Do the action. Don’t overthink it—just start and keep going until you finish.
5. When you’re done, write down the next action you’ll take tomorrow, and schedule it.

This is how you start taking action on your goals and build unstoppable momentum, one focused action at a time.

Quick Exercise: Turn One Goal into Immediate Action

To help you lock in what you’ve learned, take a few minutes to complete this simple exercise.

Choose Your Goal

Think of one goal that truly matters to you right now. It might be:

• Hitting a sales target
• Improving your health
• Developing a new leadership skill
• Strengthening a key relationship

Write it down clearly. This is the goal you’ll focus on as you practice taking action to achieve your goals.

Design Three Actions for This Week

Now, list three specific actions you can take this week to move closer to that goal. For example:

• Schedule a one-on-one meeting with each team member.”
• “Walk for 20 minutes after work three days this week.”
• “Reach out to three past clients to check in and offer value.”

Circle the one action you’ll do today.

Micro Worksheet: Your Take-Action Checklist

Use this simple checklist whenever you set a new goal:

• [    ] I’ve written down my goal clearly.
• [    ] I’ve written down why this goal matters to me.
• [    ] I’ve identified at least one action I can take today.
• [    ] I’ve scheduled time on my calendar to do the work.
• [    ] I have a simple way to track my progress (journal, M.A.P., or weekly review).

Each time you check these boxes, you are training yourself to take action on your goals like a successful leader.

Keep Your Momentum Going

Taking action once feels good. Taking action consistently changes your life.

Practice Get-To-It-Tive-Ness Every Day

As you move through the rest of the Goal Setting for Success personal goal setting course, keep asking yourself:

• “What can I do today to move one step closer to my goals?”
• “Where can I show a little more Get-To-It-Tive-Ness?”

You’ll find constant opportunities:

• Making that extra call others skip
• Following up when others would give up
• Doing the thoughtful thing no one asked you to do

Over time, this is how you build a reputation as someone who takes action and follows through.