What do you want to achieve? Do you dream of more time pursuing your interests? Do you want more money in your pockets? Do you desire better health and more energy?

Maybe in the past you have set New Year resolutions. These are okay but are they ever going to help you get what you want? What has been your experience in the past? I think you will agree, the answer is probably not.

To really get going and achieve what you want, you must set goals and follow through. Setting goals is not just writing down what you want. To turn a wish list into true goals you need to follow certain guidelines.

Goal setting is a formal process that takes some time to complete, but it will get you pointing in the right direction. It is a course of action that starts by understanding what your major definite purpose is. Where is it you want to go in life? Then working from there you identify values and clearly define your goals.

For each goal you need to define the steps and plan those activities. It is necessary to evaluate your goals to make sure they are SMART goals. Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time based. Goals that are not all of these things lack qualities that help you focus.

Lets look....

SPECIFIC - If it is not specific you can't really see the target, so you can't aim at it.
MEASURABLE - If it is not measurable you won't know when you get there.

ATTAINABLE - If the goal is too far out of reach, it can actually be quite destructive. For example, If you earn $40,000/year and set a goal of $1,000,000 a year this may be quite de-motivating, but setting $60,000 would be attainable.

REALISTIC - If it is not realistic it can be discouraging. You need to believe it is possible.

TIME BASED - If it is not time based you will not be driven to finish it. Without the time limit there will be no urgency to act.

These characteristics are all important. They are what really qualifies a goal as a goal.

So set your goals now. Remember the feeling of success when you achieve your goals will motivate you further. With formal goal setting you will see possibilities you never even dreamed of and know which path is best for you! You will be able to focus on what will truly benefit your life.

Ritchie Hale