Most people in business and other fields recognize that goals are important. Those who are successful know how to set goals and break them down into objectives with quantifiable results. They maintain their motivation as one target after another is reached. Of primary importance, however, is deciding how high to set the bar.

Measurable goals need to be set at attainable levels if they are to be useful at motivating yourself or others. So you will need to obtain some measurements as you refine your goals. For instance, if you want to generate more leads, and you are currently generating an average of 100 per month, you could try setting a goal of 140 per month. Scale it down to one week and your new target would be 48 leads per month, or around 8 leads each week. You can revise your numbers after looking at the statistics. If there were days or weeks that you have previously gotten that many new leads, your goal and accompanying objectives are doable. It is better to exceed your goals than to fail to meet them. Therefore ensure the results are within reach.

Goals are so powerful they can determine your future. This means you must set goals carefully and adjust them if necessary. Goals and targets that are too low can lead to mediocrity. Goals that are too high can create a sense of failure that causes people to stop trying. Therefore goal-setting is a critical decision that impacts performance and even affects whether you decide to keep running your business or not.

Long term goals help keep us headed in the right direction as long as we don't get stuck in an attitude of defeat. It is easy to give up if what you are actually doing with your time is not moving you closer to reaching your goal. When thoughts born of frustration cause you to doubt you will ever reach your long-range goals, you should pause and direct yourself to do something that will move you closer to the outcome you truly desire. By taking action you can counter negative thoughts and replace them with confidence that you will prevail.

Believing that you can reach your goals can enable you to overcome the obstacles and negativity that may arise along the way. Determination and intentionality must go hand in hand for you to move forward. Set goals and targets that will spur you on toward success, and let nothing hinder you as you tell yourself all that you can and will do.