Sadly we go into little or no detail when it comes to setting goals for ourselves. Most of us even plan our deaths in great detail in the form of a will and, yet make little or no effort to plan our living years. Most of us have many dreams, wishes and goal setting plans for our lives. But unfortunately for most of us, these remain only wishes, never to be fulfilled.
Why do so many of us never achieve our goal setting plans? Possibly because we never quite know, what we want or where we are going in life. Or if we do know what we want, we don't really believe in our capability to achieve it. Goal setting can be taught to anyone who is willing to learn how to do it. However, that burning desire that comes from within - our belief in ourselves, will ultimately determine whether our goal setting plans will be achieved or not.
Many of us lack clearly defined goals. Unless we have a crystal-clear idea of what we want from life, there is no way we will accomplish our goals. Having a goal is one thing. The ability to implement your goal setting ideas is where it all begins.
If you are not making the headway you would like to make in relation to your capabilities, it is obvious that you do not have a clear idea of what you want from life. Goal setting requires that you have a distinct picture in your mind and that you have written your goals down. Writing your goal down is the most important part of goal setting. Without it you have no road map to follow and fall back onto to see if you are still on the right track.
As one begins to set out a clearly defined goal setting plan you might soon discover that having a plan is just not enough. As stated earlier, the burning desire to attain your goals is the fuel that drives a well laid out plan to become a reality. Often the vital difference between winners and those who come a close second is not so much a variation in ability, approach or method but rather a stronger desire to win.
Goal setting is an individual journey and goals are the ideas or business plan, for want of a more simplistic term, that drive you on a daily basis to achieve all that can be achieved. Goals give the human beings a reason to exist. Asking simple questions like, " What will the benefits and advantages be once I have achieved my goals?" This type of question does not really need any rocket science thinking to solve. I bet you could come up with a host of advantages of earning that extra $2000 a month.
Implementing goal setting strategies and what the consequences will be takes a certain amount of lateral thinking and understanding of what you wish to achieve. Once you know what it is that you want or need and you have laid out a solid 'individual business plan' to achieve it, the rest is up to you. Most people that are successful are doers. They choose to take action and so can you.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Goal Setting | 
