As you investigate the subject of self improvement you will learn much about setting and working towards meaningful life goals. They are essential as a means to developing as a person in whichever way you desire and in providing a clear focus for all that you want to achieve in your life. You will see the need to examine exactly what it is you wish to achieve and will learn all about the necessity of analyzing those needs and coming up with concise goals and a workable plan to ensure you achieve them. You will write them down and begin the journey to their attainment.

But you must also know that it will not be easy and there will be times when you find it difficult to reach your goals and you will find that you can easily become frustrated and discouraged. There will be many obstacles along the way that may prevent you from achieving what you set out to do and you need to find a way of overcoming them.

But it is also likely that your frustrations will probably be the result of not meeting one of your own expectations. However it may be that the expectation was simply not realistic in the first place and by remembering that all your goals should allow a level of flexibility you will be able to get back on track. Simply amend the goal to a more realistic level, perhaps creating smaller tasks to help achieve it, and keep going. You should not be discouraged though.

But if you believe your expectations are realistic but you are simply not getting anywhere with them then you need a way of finding out why. You should review your goal and the plan you have in place to achieve it. Here are 7 steps to getting yourself back on track and heading in the right direction:

Step 1

Review the required outcome of the goal and ensure that it is clear, concise and definite. Sometimes your aims may alter and the things you really want have changed. If that has happened you must re-define the goal so that it reflects your new needs.

Step 2

Identify what obstacles are preventing you from making progress. Your circumstances may have changed since you set the goal and so are affecting what you are able to achieve. Compare your life now with where it was when you originally set the goal. You will most probably be pleasantly surprised at the progress you have actually made.

Step 3

Be honest with yourself and make sure you are not just creating excuses for not doing what is necessary to achieve the goal. Sometimes you may create a goal that leaves too much room for you to be able to ignore it when the mood takes you. Have a realistic plan and avoid procrastination!

Step 4

List all the obstacles you have now identified and begin to examine how real they are and what you can do about them.

Step 5

Review the resources you have available to you and ensure that you are utilizing them fully. This may be material things but could also include how well you manage your time or how you enlist the help of others.

Step 6

Define precisely the tasks necessary to overcome the obstacles and what actions they will involve. It may be that you need to learn a new skill or find a way to create more time.

Step 7

Write down the tasks and create a schedule for their completion. Set realistic timescales for accomplishing them being careful to ensure that you take one step at a time and that their completion is achievable. It is vital to do so in order that you do not feel under unnecessary pressure.

By having meaningful goals you can accomplish all you want in life and be a successful person. You will meet challenges along the way but as long as you know how to deal with them they can be overcome. If frustration creeps in simply follow these steps and take action and you will be back on track towards your goal.

This article was written by Tony Hall who runs his own business dedicated to helping individuals develop their personal and business skills. You can learn more about how to develop your own life skills and get your complimentary copy of "The Process of Success" by signing up for his weekly newsletter at: http://www.selfimprovementskills.com/newsletter.html