Goal setting is a road map to your success! Without goals, a person really doesn't have a destination. Or, if they do feel like they want to accomplish something in life, they won't know when they've reached the destination because they never took time to define it. To get the most inspirational mileage out of your goal setting, here are ten tips to help you choose, define, and write those worthy goals that are unique to you.



1. Categorize your goals according to area of life. For instance, you can write goals that relate to your business or career success, of course, but you probably also have personal financial goals. You probably have health and fitness goals you would like to reach. Maybe there are some family or social things you'd like to accomplish. And what about the spiritual realm? When you write your goals, choose two or three in each main area of life.

2. Set an end time for your goal. The prospective "due date" is part of what makes a dream become a goal. We can carry dreams around with us to our casket if we never give it a time we hope to have it done by.

3. Break down large objectives. Tip number three goes hand in hand with number two. For instance, say your main goal is to be in good health. Reality, however, says you need to lose forty pounds and develop some muscle! Break those goals down into manageable bites. It's been said that you can eat an elephant if you go one bite at a time. Make a mini goal (or short term objective) of losing five of those pounds in the next month, for instance. Make another of going to the gym twice a week to pump iron. You get the idea.

4. Set progressively loftier goals in the context of one, five, or ten year goals. Here is an example of progressive goals in the area of a writing and speaking career. Within a year, I intend to have had at least one major article published in a major magazine. Within five years, my goal is to be speaking at conventions and trade events. By ten years from now, I hope to be a trusted authority in my career field.

5. Always couch goals in positive terms. "I will walk 2 miles four times a week" is more positive than "I will stop laying around in front of the TV."

6. Goals also need to be observable. This means they need to be defined so that you know you have reached the target when you get there. For instance, when writing the goals from number four above, I would want to define specifically what I mean by being a "trusted authority in my career field."

7. Small daily decisions make a big difference. Sometimes just getting into the habit of making your bed, for instance, can be the first step in becoming completely organized in your home. As you make minor decisions, think frequently how your choices could affect your goal outcomes down the road.

8. Break down tasks even farther. For instance, if your goal is to write a book, you may already have the book broken down into chapter goals. You may need to break it farther, into page goals, or even into working on it ten or fifteen minutes a day. Never underestimate the cumulative effect of consistency!

9. Don't make so many goals that you feel overwhelmed or defeated when you look at the list. The idea is to inspire yourself by giving yourself a target to aim for.

10. Don't forget to plan some positive reinforcement for yourself. Reward yourself when you reach a goal, however small, of course, but also congratulate yourself for sticking with it when the going gets tough.

You'll develop your own style of goal setting as you go. Some goals may wind up being off target for your real life. That's fine. It's your road map. Simply abandon them. By following these ten tips, however, you will be well on your way to reaching the goals your heart truly desires.