How to Set Powerful Personal Goals Video

Do you ever feel that no matter how hard you work, you never quite get to where you want to be?

One key reason could be that you haven't spent enough time thinking about what you actually want from life. After all, would you set out on a major journey with no real idea of your destination? Probably not.

That's where setting goals comes in. A goal is a clearly-defined personal objective. Top level athletes, successful business people, and achievers in all fields set goals. Doing this can give you long-term vision and short-term motivation, and ultimately, help you to make the life you want to live a reality.

The most effective kind of goal is a SMART   one. This stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. But what's the difference between a goal and a SMART goal? Well, for example, instead of having, "I want to sail around the world," as a goal, it's more powerful to use the SMART goal, "To have completed my trip around the world by my 40th birthday." You then just need to work out the steps you need to take to actually make it happen.

So where do you start?

The first step is to create the big picture of what you want to do with your life over say, the next 10 years. You do this by identifying the large-scale goals that you want to achieve. They should cover all the areas in your life that matter to you, like career, finance, family, public service, or other personal pursuits.

After you've set out your lifetime goals, break them down into things that you can do in, say, the next five years, then the next year, next month, next week, and today. This will help you to create a to-do list   of things you can start working on today that will help you to get closer to achieving those goals.

Make sure that your goals are genuinely what you want to achieve, not ones that your parents, family or employers might want, otherwise you'll struggle to commit to them.

It's also important to write down your goals to make them feel more tangible and real.

Once you've decided on your first set of goals, keep the process going by reviewing and updating your to-do list on a daily basis. Periodically review your longer-term plans too and modify them to reflect your changing priorities and experience.

Let's recap.

Today, we've learned what goals are and how and why they work. To begin, set your lifetime goals first. Then work backward by breaking them down into smaller goals that you need to complete to achieve your dream life, and keep the process going by regularly reviewing and updating them. If you don't already set goals, start now. As the ancient Chinese Proverbs says, "A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step."

To discover more about how to set powerful personal goals, read our article here   .