Here's the easy part: setting personal development goals for yourself. But the hard part is actually achieving those goals. One reason lots of people fail to reach their goals is that they made the mistake of setting blurry goals rather than crystal clear ones. Other people have a tendency to set a bunch of goals all at once. Still others choose target dates that are fuzzy or too far away.

To best set your own personal development goals, you want to sharply define what it is you want to achieve. Good for you for wanting to lose weight, but you must set a clear goal at the outset. Choose how much weight you will lose, and write down that as your goal. Pick an exact number of pounds or kilograms, and be sure it is really an achievable goal. Otherwise, you can set yourself up for failure. After you have chosen a goal of, for example, ten pounds, go ahead and create an exercise and diet plan that will aid you in accomplishing your goal.

Now, take on your challenge by setting parameters for your goal that are clear. With your diet and exercise plans laid out, and a clear number to aim for, set yourself a time limit. It could be ten pounds in the next two months, for example. Which is a little more than a pound per week: pretty achievable. You now have a sharp target, with a manageable time frame, and you will be able to sharply focus on your way to achieving your goal.

You have accomplished the first step! You established personal development goals, and you are on your way to achieving them.

Don't set your personal development goals too high or too far out of reach. If you set unattainable goals and you're not successful, you'll feel like a failure. This feeling can have a negative affect on your self-esteem, and on your life in general. Don't go there.

When you do meet your goal, make sure that you reward yourself. A reward makes all your hard work worthwhile in another way besides the actual accomplishment of the goal. This doesn't necessarily have to involve a great deal of money, or a big fudge sundae that will place you right back at square one. Treat yourself to a movie, a glass of your favorite wine, or a stroll through the park. Celebrate the fact that you stuck to your plan and you met your goals.

Having achieved your first personal development goal, now you will be ready to set another one. Always set your next goal the same way you did the first, with clear, achievable results in a decent time frame. And who knows where this will all lead? In 5 - 10 years you will be shocked by where you have ended up. Setting small, achievable goals, one after the other, can lead you to heights you would not have imagined in your former life.