Take action on your goals, even if you don't yet have the perfect plan.

Get something underway to meet our goals. Even an imperfect plan allows us to get into the habit of working towards our goals. If we have to refine the plans and even the goals as we going along, it's better than paralysis-by-analysis or waiting till the conditions are right.

Adaptability and goal-setting

Let's get controversial.

Maybe you'll be better off without a detailed goal or goals you can measure or tick off. It's not what everyone advises, but it makes sense.

I used to write my plans for the year in detail. Now, I do something that works just as well. I have a general theme for the year and it provides a focus, rather than a goal. With my theme clear, I'm always looking for opportunities that fit the theme, and it's surprising what comes up when you are looking. Do I head down wrong tracks? Sure. I did the same when I had a detailed plan. Some of the ideas that seemed right at the beginning of the year no longer did half way through, so I had to change or eliminate them.

Obviously there's a place for detailed, measurable goals, but you might want to consider a theme too. The main thing is to have a focus and turn it into action. It's the habit of action that matters.