As the third week of 2017 quickly passes us, I find myself trying to set some ambitious goals for the year ahead. I am sure some of you are doing the same. But simply writing down goals is not enough. It is equally important to be strategic with them so you can set yourself up for success.

I always suggest keeping a birds-eye level view of your goals in plain sight, so you can keep your eyes on them all year long. Do the nitty gritty planning somewhere else, but keep a snapshot of it in plain view!

As for the actual process, I have learned a few things that work startlingly well (and some that don’t). Here are my top tips for setting goals so you are positioning yourself for maximum success throughout the year.

Goal Setting: 6 Strategies for Success This Year

1. Categorize

Divvy up your life in a few categories that make sense to you. These categories should be the areas of your life you want to work on the next year. For me, it is “Business,” “Health,” and “Personal Development,” because these are the areas I want to make big strides in in 2017. Once you create these categories, write down 4-5 goals in each category.

2. Consolidate to Focus

See those 4-5 goals you identified in each category? Now strike them out until only one or two remain in each area. Make sure that only the most meaningful or the ones you are most drawn to remain on your list. What you are doing is consolidating so you can focus all your attention on those 1 or 2 goals. If you have five goals for example, your focus will be spread thin among the five goals. But if you have 1 or 2 goals, you focus will remain concentrated. This is what top performers do. They focus on one goal until they get to the desired outcome. And then they move on to the next.

[RELATED: Plan For the New Year the Right Way]

3. Dates, Dates, Dates!

This might be the project manager in me screaming to make her voice heard, but DATES are key! When do you want to reach goal A by? When do you want to reach goal B by?

4. Break Them Down

Now that you have your goals boiled down to just a few, take each item and break them down into manageable chunks. Try to break them down into as much detail as possible. Use a journal/agenda and really get down to the nitty-gritty tasks and subtasks that need to be completed. This will give you a more realistic view of what is required to actually achieve what you set out to do. My absolute favourite journals are the beautiful Shining Yearjournals.

5. Be Realistic and Authentic!

Type A personalities like to load their plate up with as many things as possible, because they can do it all! My advice and strong recommendation, do not do that! You will be setting yourself up for failure, burnout or low self-esteem when you don’t meet your unrealistic expectations. That is so not what you need. Be authentic in your goal-setting. Your goals should light you up, not burn you out! I have used the Desire Map process for years, to make sure that I set authentic goals that make me squeal with excitement.

6. Keep Plans Fluid

Excellent! You have a plan of attack for 2017! However, did you leave some room for say, a brilliant opportunity that came your way? Or perhaps a total 180-degree change in your goals because a key part of your goals just did not pan out like you had envisioned it? Remember to keep your plans slightly fluid so you can adapt and take advantage of some unexpected magic.

So there you have it! A solid strategy to plan out your 2017 like the pro that you are. Goal-setting strategically helps you stay on the intended path, rather than letting life toss you around. Who wants that, right?

Now tell me, what are your favorite strategies for setting meaningful, successful goals?