Do you know what you want to achieve? You likely have a vivid image of the successful life you aspire to lead. Perhaps you can envision your dream home and find traveling several times a year incredibly appealing. However, leaving these thoughts unarticulated makes you less likely to realize them.

To transform a dream into a goal, it needs to be clearly defined. The notion of a better job won’t manifest in your life if you remain a passive dreamer. Instead, set a specific target: “I want a job that will fund at least two seaside vacations each year.” The same principle applies to other areas of life. For instance, when it comes to love, having clear criteria for your ideal partner can be quite beneficial. Make a list of values you and your partner should share to suit each other.

Being specific will help you view your dreams as goals and motivate you to take actionable steps toward achieving them. Don’t be afraid of the number and scale of your ambitions. Football coach Lou Holtz was 28 when he set goals for his life—not just one, but an impressive 107. Some of these may have seemed unrealistic. For example, meeting the President of the United States, becoming a football coach, and making a perfect golf shot in one swing. Nevertheless, over the next 50 years, he not only achieved but also exceeded his aspirations. He managed to shake hands with both the President and the Pope and won the national championship as the head coach of the University of Notre Dame football team in 1988. Lou Holtz also realized his dream of playing a perfect round of golf, even twice! His journey illustrates that you can reach for the stars by setting brave goals.

Setting goals and documenting them may seem like a trivial exercise, but it’s the first step toward making them a reality. By clearly defining a task, you begin to think about its implementation. Furthermore, having a visual record serves as a source of motivation, encouraging you to grow and overcome obstacles in pursuit of your dreams.