Let's start prioritizing goals

We start the procedure of goal setting by looking at the lifetime goals. Then, we work down to the things that you can do in, say, the next five years, then next year, next month, next week, and today, to start moving towards them.

Step 1: Setting Lifetime Goals

The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to achieve in your lifetime. Setting lifetime goals gives you the overall standpoint that shapes all other aspects of your decision making.

To give a broad, balanced coverage of all important areas in your life, try to set goals in some of the following categories:

·         Career - What level do you want to reach in your career, or what do you want to achieve?

·         Financial - How much do you want to earn, by what stage? How is this related to your career goals?

·         Education - Is there any knowledge you want to acquire in particular? What information and skills will you need to have in order to achieve other goals?

·         Family - Do you want to be a parent? If so, how are you going to be a good parent? How do you want to be seen by a partner or by members of your extended family?

·         Artistic - Do you want to achieve any artistic goals?

·         Attitude - Is any part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of the way that you behave that upsets you?

·         Physical - Are there any athletic goals that you want to achieve, or do you want good health deep into old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?

·         Pleasure - How do you want to enjoy yourself?

·         Public Service - Do you want to make the world a better place? If so, how?

Spend some time inspiration these things, and then select one or more goals in each category that best reflect what you want to do. Then consider decoration again so that you have a small number of really significant goals that you can focus on.

As you do this, make sure that the goals that you have set are ones that you genuinely want to achieve, not ones that your parents, family, or employers might want.

* Craft the personal mission statement and this can help bring your most important goals into sharp focus.*

Step 2: Setting Smaller Goals

Once you have positioned your lifetime goals, set a five-year plan of smaller goals that you require to complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan.

Then create a one-year plan, six-month plan, and a one-month plan of progressively smaller goals that you should reach to achieve your lifetime goals.

Each of these should be based on the previous plan.

Create a daily To-Do List of things that you should do today to work towards your lifetime goals.

Finally review your plans, and make sure that they fit the way in which you want to live your life.