It’s September 22: Know What That Means? You Only Have 100 Days Left to Accomplish Something Big in 2016.

Yes, today is the autumnal equinox, marking the official end of summer and beginning of fall. As a Midwesterner, I look forward to the changing of the trees and beautiful fall colors.

But September 22 also means that we only have 100 more days left in 2016 (not including today). So it’s an ideal time to look at your progress on this year’s goals. It’s also a perfect time to reboot if there’s something really big you want to accomplish before the ball falls in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. (BTW, did you know the ball weighs almost 12,000 pounds?)

Here are eight questions to help you achieve your big goal:

1.      What would you like to accomplish by December 31? Make it one thing that is big and important, yet realistic. Say, something in between changing a light bulb and building a skyscraper. It can be for your business or personal—if you must have both, choose one of each. But no more than that.

2.      Why is the goal important to you? Knowing your why will remind you of your motivation when the going gets tough. You can look back at your why for inspiration when you need to get moving again.

Knowing your why will remind you of your motivation when the going gets tough.

3.      What is it going to take for you to get that done? Think in terms of significant milestones but don’t get too detailed here.

4.      What resources will you need? If you’re remodeling a kitchen, you’ll need cabinets, appliances, and tile. If you’re developing a new product for your business, you may need a market study, design, and raw materials. List your primary resources and create a budget and timeline to acquire them.

5.      Who can you enlist to help you? This may be a good time to call your brother-in-law the electrician for your kitchen project. To launch a new product, hiring a marketing consultant might be in order.

Another person to enlist? A partner to hold you accountable and cheer you on along the way. This could be a spouse, co-worker, boss, friend, or coach.

6.      What problems might you encounter along the way? Make a list of potential problems now, so they don’t set you back when they occur (and they probably will). Create a contingency plan for serious issues that could jeopardize your efforts.

7.      What is the first/next step you need to take toward achieving this goal? It’s time to get moving! Whether this is a new initiative or a restart on a stalled project, get clarity on the next step to move you toward your goal.

It’s time to get moving!

8.      When will you complete that first/next step? Create a deadline for completing this step. Tell your partner so they can check in to see that you’ve done it.

Once you get started, repeat questions 7 and 8 for each step throughout the process as a way to stay focused and gain momentum.

Need a more structured approach to keep you moving in the right direction? Check out Gary Ryan Blair’s 100 Day Challenge.

What’s the big goal you’d like to achieve before December 31?