Research shows that only about 2% of Americans write goals. I was 35 years old when I first heard about the importance of goal-setting in achieving one's dreams. In college I had dreamed of being a writer but at 35 was far from my dream. I had only written about 200 poems in 15 years. I set a goal to write a poem a day for a year. That year I wrote over 400 poems.
If you want to achieve your dreams, you need to turn them into goals. Goals are dreams with deadlines. I want to share with you five guidelines to help you set goals.
First, goals need to be personal. No one else can write your goals for you. Your parents can't. Your children can't. Your spouse can't. Only you can write your goals.
Second, goals need to be written. Putting your goals down on paper and periodically reviewing them helps you to stay focused. Hang your goals some place where you can see them every day.
Third, goals need to be measurable. You need to be able to determine if you achieved your goal. For instance, if you say your goal is to be happy, you cannot measure happiness. You need to make the goal more specific and measurable. Your goal is not to be a painter or a writer. Your goal should be something like: "I will write 5 pages a day or I will paint one painting a month." A goal needs to be measurable.
Fourth, a goal needs to have time frames. For example, I will have the first draft of my novel written by December 1, 20....
Fifth, goals need to be emotionally meaningful to you. If we are emotionally committed to a goal, we are more likely to achieve it. Ask yourself: how much am I willing to sacrifice to achieve my dream? The answer will tell you how important the dream is to you.
We all have dreams and hopes and things we want to achieve with our lives. Goal-setting is a powerful tool to help us achieve those dreams.
Your Challenge: Write a measurable goal for something you want to achieve in the next three months.
