🎯 Mastering the Art of Goal-Setting and Execution: A Practical Guide to Defining and Achieving Your Dreams

If you're a first-gen college student, you probably have big dreams—bigger than what your parents ever imagined for you. You want to be successful, wealthy, and respected. You want to make an impact, change your family's financial future, and prove to yourself that all the sacrifices were worth it.

But let’s be honest—sometimes, those dreams feel out of reach. Maybe you’ve told yourself:🚫 “I’ll figure it out later.”

🚫 “I don’t have the connections.”

🚫 “I work so hard, but I don’t see progress.”

You’re not alone. Most first-gen students feel this way. You weren’t given a roadmap for success—you’re building one from scratch. And that’s POWERFUL.

The secret to turning dreams into reality is goal-setting and execution—and I’m going to show you how to MASTER IT like a pro.

🔥 STEP 1: Get Specific with Your Goals (The “Bad Bunny Rule”)

Let’s say your goal is to be successful. That’s cool, but what does success actually mean to you?

Think about Bad Bunny—before he became one of the biggest artists in the world, he didn’t just say, “I want to be famous.” That’s too vague.

Instead, he set clear, specific goals:

✅ Create unique music that represents his culture.

✅ Build a brand beyond music.

✅ Become the highest-streamed Latin artist.

And guess what? He made it happen.

👉 YOUR TURN: Instead of “I want to be successful,” make it SPECIFIC:

✔ “I want to graduate debt-free by earning scholarships.”

✔ “I want to earn $100K a year before I turn 30.”

✔ “I want to start my own business while in college.”

💡 PRO TIP: The more specific your goal is, the easier it will be to take action.

🏗 STEP 2: Break It Down (The “Arepa Method”)

Think of your goal like an arepa. 🍽 You can’t eat it in one bite—you take it piece by piece.

For example, if your goal is to earn $100K a year before 30, here’s how you break it down:

➡️ Learn high-income skills (sales, coding, marketing, investing).

➡️ Get an internship at a top company.

➡️ Network with professionals in your field.

➡️ Find a mentor who earns what you want to earn.

➡️ Take on side hustles or start a business.

💡 ACTION STEP: Take your big goal and write down 3-5 smaller steps that will get you there.

⏳ STEP 3: Set Deadlines (The “Tío Juan Principle”)

We all have that one tío who says he’s going to start eating healthy “soon” but keeps eating chicharrón every weekend. If there’s no deadline, it won’t happen.

Think about it—when a professor gives you a paper due in a month, do you start it right away? Probably not. But when the deadline is tomorrow? That’s when you move FAST.

Set deadlines like this:

📆 “I will apply for three scholarships by March 15.”

📆 “I will attend two networking events by next month.”

📆 “I will save $5,000 by the end of the year.”

💥 A goal without a deadline is just a wish.

🚀 STEP 4: Take Action, Even When You Don’t Feel Like It (The “J Balvin Rule”)

J Balvin didn’t become a superstar by waiting to “feel motivated.” He showed up every day, even when it was hard.

Think about it—do you really think successful people always feel like working? Nope. But they do it anyway.

Your dream will only come true if you take action CONSISTENTLY. Start now, even if it’s messy.

🎯 Ask yourself: What is ONE thing you can do today that moves you closer to your goal? Then go do it.

🔑 FINAL STEP: Track & Adjust (The “Soccer Coach Mindset”)

A soccer coach doesn’t just watch the game—he analyzes every move and adjusts the strategy.

You need to do the same with your goals.

Every month, ask yourself:

✅ What’s working?

✅ What’s not?

✅ What do I need to adjust?

Your path will change, and that’s okay. The key is to keep moving forward.

💡 REMEMBER: You’re not just setting goals—you’re designing your future. 🚀

Your parents worked hard to get you here. Now it’s your turn to take it to the next level.

Drop a 🔥 in the comments if you’re ready to start crushing your goals TODAY!