10 Keys To Personal Goal Setting

Does personal goal setting work? Many people want things, situations or accomplishments, call these goals, and then are disappointed when they don't get them. Call desires goals if you want, but just naming your desires sure isn't effective goal setting. Good goals have some or all of the following:

1. They are specific. "I want to be healthy" is too general. "I want to lose weight and walk three times a week," is better.

2. They are measurable. How many pounds do you want to lose? How much money do you want to make? How will you know if your relationship is better?

3. They are in writing. There is power in writing down your goals. It makes them more real, and this influences your subconscious mind, especially if you review the goals regularly.

4. They are realistic. Sorry, but even if it is possible that you could become an astronaut, if you're already 55, you better try for becoming a pilot for now. Unrealistic goals set you up for failure.

5. They have deadlines. You'll have a new job by when? Setting dates really helps your progress.

6. They become plans. Making a goal into specific steps makes it much more likely. It isn't overwhelming to take one step at a time.

7. They are motivated. Having the goal for the right reasons is a good start. You should also learn how to re-motivate yourself, and reward yourself when you make progress.

8. They consider personal factors. Can you really get what you want if you feel like you don't deserve it? Maybe, but good goal setting takes into account personal changes that are necessary or useful.

9. They are followed by action. One of the keys to motivation and to getting where you want to be is to start with any movement towards the goal. Action begets action. Start slow if you must, but start.

10. They are not written in stone. Goals naturally evolve. Why would you become a doctor once you learned that you liked doing lab work better?

The last one is a tough one. An excuse and a change of course are not the same thing, but to know the difference means you need a certain level of self-awareness. Develop that, apply the keys to personal goal setting above, and you'll get to where you want to be.

Steve Gillman writes on many topics including brainpower, weight loss, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. Learn more and get FREE e-courses at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com

---

Make Goals Specific

Saying that you want to be rich isn't enough. However,... Read More

A Simple Solution For Accomplishing Any Goal

Have you ever had someone ask you to do some... Read More

Are You Stuck? Consider Changing Your Focus!

If you sometimes feel as though you're caught in life's... Read More

Prerequisite Qualities For Optimum Goal Setting

The minute you set a goal, you are creating a... Read More

Conquering Goals: The Battle Plan

"To accomplish great things we must not only act, but... Read More

Setting Financial Goals - Part 2

In my earlier article "Setting Financial Goals ? Part 1"... Read More

Creating Your Vision for Your Business, Career, and Life

Many people go through their daily lives feeling overwhelmed. There... Read More

Goals ? The Forgotten Success Element

Goals are extremely important and are the key to any... Read More

Do You Really Value What You Wish For?

I am sitting in a shopping mall, waiting for my... Read More

Successful Goal Setting and Achievement

The first step to success, of course, is to set... Read More

Challenge the Universe: Demand Your Desires!

There have been so many times in my life where... Read More

The Promise: The Key to the Successful Achievement of Your Goals

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to... Read More

Goal Getting: 5 Steps to Get You There Quickly

One of the things that frustrated me while in school... Read More

Reasons That Move You Bring Clarity, Focus, Determination, and Momentum

Are your goals SMART? ? Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Rewarding, Time-DeadlinedJust... Read More

Fear the Future? Dont.

In one sense there are three parts of our lives.... Read More

Decide and Declare!

Did you start off the new year with goals and... Read More

Discipline is Essential for Self Improvement

Most of us are regularly exposed to information offering get... Read More

Ten Reasons To Have an Inspired, World Changing Goal

In a nutshell, having an inspired, world-changing goal is the... Read More

Rebuilding Oneself: The Universes Basic Training

I remember Air Force Basic Training. My Training Instructor not... Read More

Top Ten Ways to Achieve Your Goals

1) Write them down! Statistics show people who write down... Read More

The Focus Wheel

The Focus Wheel was first described by Abraham-Hicks as a... Read More

Keeping the Dream Alive

Like the song by Linda Ronstadt, "a dream is a... Read More

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals

I cannot stress the importance of setting goals enough. Goals... Read More

Great Goals Make You Stretch!

I began enhancing my personal energy level three months shy... Read More

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

The Hasidic master, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach taught that on Passover... Read More

Halftime: Re-evaluating Yearly Goals

Note: This article was originally written at mid year so... Read More

Vision Means Passion - Whats Yours?

Interestingly, the word vision can be interchangeable with the word... Read More

19 Ultimate Success Tips for your Online Business

1. Your first ultimate start must include written goals and... Read More

Achieving Impossible Goals By Ignoring The Experts

"If the world were to blow itself up the last... Read More

Great Things Materialize Once We Start to Visualize

Watching the Olympics last week really amazed me. The feats... Read More

GOALS The Power Line to Success and Achievement

WHY DO WE NEED GOALS?Goals give you direction in all... Read More

Dont Mistake Activity For Achievement

I remember watching an NBA Basketball Game on t.v one... Read More

The Best Way to Quit Smoking: Fasting to Quit

Most quit smoking books, maybe all of them won't tell... Read More