by Cathy Linton

Created on: May 20, 2007

Goal Setting Step-by-Step

Here's a really simple way to make goal setting a part of your life.

Why is Goal Setting Important?

Every one of us has the potential to do far more than we even believe to be possible. Setting goals can help us to be more efficient with our time and to do the things that are really important in our lives.

Most people never set goals for several reasons:

1. They don't understand what goal setting is or what it can do for them.
2. They don't know how to set goals.
3. They don't want to set goals that might not be achieved.
4. They just can't be bothered.

The first step in goal setting is to discover what you really want.

Take some time to relax and think about what your perfect life would be like assuming time and money were no object. Where would you live? Who would be with you - partner? children? What would you do on a perfect day in your life? Try to make it as detailed and real as you possibly can.

Write it down if you would like to or simply keep it as a vivid picture in your mind.

Next, what would you need to happen to make your perfect life start?

These things you need to write down. Don't for the moment think about HOW these things could be achieved.

HINT - don't include winning the lottery!

Your list might include:

start my own business; meet my ideal partner; quit my job and work from home; buy my dream home; sail around the world; be a stay at home parent; become a charity volunteer overseas;

Your list may not include any of these things, but something else completely different. The important thing is that you decide what is important for you.

Once you have a list of things that would create your perfect life you can begin to prioritise them and break them down into smaller chunks or goals.

Simply work through your list and decide which is the most important and write 1 by it, the next most important write 2 and so on. You may have a list of 20 things or only one or two, it makes no difference as the process is the same.

Say your number 1 goal is to buy your dream home for you and your family. First you need to find out what the type of home that you want, costs in the area where you want to live, and set a date by when you want to achieve this goal.

Next, what would your income need to be to buy this home.

Write the income and the date down as in this example.

By (date) I will be earning (amount) per month.

Break the goal down into smaller chunks.

With the income goal you have set, get a piece of paper and brainstorm some ideas on how you could

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