Life is a journey.
Not just any journey, but the most fantastic journey in the universe. Life
is a journey from where you are to where you want to be. You can choose
your own destination. Not only that, you can choose how you are going to
get there. Goal setting will help you end up where you want to be.

• 
  When it comes to setting goals, start
  off with what's important to you in life. Take out a sheet of paper. Sit
  quietly, and on that sheet of paper, brainstorm what you want to accomplish
  between now and the end of your life.



• 
  Second step-use another sheet of paper,
  and this time consider yourself and your personal goals for the next 12
  month period. Some key areas in which you might set personal goals include:
  family, personal growth, financial, health, social, career, hobbies, spiritual,
  and recreation. Write down the things that you plan to accomplish or achieve
  or attain during this one-year period?



• 
  Now, as a third step, go back and compare
  the two goal lists you have made. Make sure that the items on your short-term
  list will, as you attain them, be helping you attain your long-term or
  lifetime goals. It is important that what you are doing short term is taking
  you in the right direction toward your lifetime goals. Please rewrite your
  short term goals now if you need to.



• 
  As a next step, looking at the goals that
  are on your list at this time, if there are any that you are not willing
  to pay the price for, go ahead and cross them out, leaving only those items
  you are willing to cause to happen in your life. This does not necessarily
  mean you have the money or the other resources for attaining the goal right
  now. However, when you do have it, would you spend it on or trade it for
  the goals you have on your list?



• 
  Now, on still another sheet of paper,
  create the job goals that are important to you during this upcoming 12-month
  period. Identify what outcomes you wish to attain or achieve during this
  one-year period in your specific area of responsibility and authority.



• 
  Some key areas in which you might consider
  writing job goals, if you did not already, include: quality, quantity,
  cost control, cost improvement, equipment, procedures, training, sales,
  financial, and personnel.



• 
  As a next step, look for the blending
  between your job or work goals and your personal goals. Anywhere you notice
  that you are attaining a goal on the job while at the same time you are
  attaining a personal goal, note this relationship: it is in these areas
  you will be most highly motivated.



• 
  For each of the three lists that you have
  just created, take an additional sheet of paper and list the activities
  that you must do to attain the most important goal that you have on each
  of your lists.



• 
  Now on another piece of paper titled "Things
  To-Do List" identify from the activities you just listed, the ones that
  you must do tomorrow to move you toward your most important goal.



• 
  Rewrite your goals in these categories
  at least every three months.



• 
  The only thing in life that is constant
  is the fact that everything is changing. It makes sense that our goals
  will change as we change.



• 
  Recognize how focusing on what you do
  want, what you do intend to accomplish, also defines what you choose not
  to do in your life.



• 
  Daily rewrite your list of "Things To-Do"
  after first reviewing your desired goals.



• 
  Success is defined as "the progressive
  realization of a worthwhile goal." If you are doing the things that are
  moving you toward the attainment of your goal, then you are "successful"
  even if you are not there yet.



• 
  Every step along the way to achieving
  a goal is just as important as the last step.



• 
  It is not the achieving of a goal that
  is so important, it is what you become in the process.



• 
  Set goals with your family also. Help
  children learn this process early in life.



• 
  Decide what you should be accomplishing
  and then stick to your knitting. Do not attempt to be or do all things
  for all people.



• 
  Dreams and wishes are not goals until
  they are written as specific end results on paper.



• 
  Written specific goals provide direction
  and focus to your activities. They become a road map to follow.



• 
  Being busy with activities does not pay,
  only results do. As in baseball you only get points for getting to the
  goal of home plate. Just making it to the bases does not count.



• 
  It has been said that the amount of information
  available to us is now doubling in less than 30 months. We must learn to
  focus on only what is truly important to our self and our job.



• 
  Be sure the goals and activities that
  you are working for are yours and that you really want and desire to achieve
  them. The commitment is vital to your success in achieving them.



• 
  When you have a goal that is exciting
  to you, the life energy flows through you. You are excited about accomplishing
  it because it is personally meaningful.



• 
  Create a time line or matrix chart on
  which you display your goals visually and the dates when you will have
  them accomplished.



• 
  Continually look for ways to integrate
  or blend personal and professional goals.



• 
  Setting a goal, that you believe is unattainable
  will result in frustration. To be challenging and motivating, goals must
  be perceived as realistic and attainable.



• 
  Those people with dreams are the ones
  most likely to experience them.



• 
  Set goals carefully for you will attain
  them. This also means if you set none, you will attain that.



• 
  Goals, when thoughtfully set, can provide
  strong motivational direction.



• 
  Clear cut, understandable and realistic
  objectives leading to the goal help to maintain the sense of realism and
  the hope of attainment of the goal.



• 
  Establish measurement criteria to monitor
  progressive movement toward your goal. Then you will experience progress.



• 
  Set goals that you will be proud to have
  achieved, then sense your having completed them.



• 
  Have a vision that you know is unquestionably
  right and you will be internally driven to achieve that vision.



• 
  A goal is "reasonable" when you can see
  the entire process needed to get to its attainment.



• 
  Good planning assists in sensing reasonableness
  of challenging goals.



• 
  Use picture goals.



• 
  Develop an emotional reason why you should
  attain your goal.