Need to get something done? A strategy may be in order. Conscientious people know what they want and make concrete plans to get it, completing small tasks each day and slowly but steadily progressing towards their desired result. In other words, they’ve mastered the art of goal-setting, a fantastic skill that can help you further your achievement.

Goal-setting is an asset when you’re working on long-term projects or towards your own self-fulfillment. It is also a skill that transfers well into higher education as well as into the workforce, where you will have more and more tasks and responsibilities to manage—and where it becomes even more important to keep your eye on the ball.

Here is some advice that will help you develop your goal-setting skills, and that may, in turn, contribute to your long-term success.

Dream big, start small.

I’m sure a part of you secretly dreams of saving the world—whether it’s discovering the cure for cancer or being on the first human expedition to Pluto, we all have dreams that are certainly worth investing it. That being said, it takes small steps to accomplish any goal. Keep your long-term ambitions in mind, but stay focused on what you can do today that will bring you one step closer to achieving them.

Keep it regular.

Turn goal-setting into a habit. For instance, you can start your morning off by making a list of three things you want to accomplish by the end of the day. Though these things can be related to your long-term goals, don’t forget about daily chores and tasks to accomplish—even small things like completing your overdue homework or cooking a healthy meal can turn a regular day into a productive one.

Motivate yourself.

Most people want to be productive, but laziness or apathy often gets in the way of their accomplishments. Solve your potential lack of motivation by having a long-term vision that will pull you out of bed when all you want to do is sleep in. It’s also recommended that you reward yourself for your hard work: for example, when you reach 10 successfully completed goals, you can have a day off to relax.

Hold yourself accountable.

We all slip up from time to time, and that’s perfectly normal, but try not to let getting sidetracked become a bad habit. If you slack off or forget your responsibilities, make a commitment to yourself that you’ll do better next time—after all, you owe it to yourself and to your future. To help you keep track of your progress, you can use a goal-setting journal for personal reflection.