Goal Setting - The Road To Dreams

By setting short term or long term goals, we help to propel our lives along future paths. Goal setting, and the ability to follow through, is required in order to be able to accomplish our lifetime dreams. They help motivate us and assist in turning our thoughts into realities.

But first we have to establish where we want to go and have a definite time frame regarding when we want to accomplish them. From there we will have to determine what steps we will need to make to get us to our potential dreams.

An example of this is if we decide we want to be a teacher; we know it will take us four years to get our Bachelor’s Degree. If we wish to get our Degree more quickly we may have to attempt to take more than the recommended courses each semester. We might also enroll in a summer semester as well. The Teacher’s Practicum Program differs in length depending on which university we are enrolled in so this may determine where we go. This potential dream can be broken down into short-term goals by determining which classes to take by a certain date with the long-term completion being done within a definite time period.

If instead our long-term goal may be to own a home in a particular neighborhood by the time we are forty; if we are only twenty-five we would have to determine what our short-term goals will be in order to achieve this dream. What position we are in when we first establish this as a future dream will determine what necessary steps will need to be taken to accomplish our reality. If for example we have neither education, job or a starter home, the task will be a little more daunting. It may be at that time necessary to make the decision of whether the goal is realistic. But it need not be considered an unrealistic goal if the time frame is of a sufficient length. A job would be the first step towards achieving the final accomplishment; secondly it will be necessary to begin a savings program for the down payment of a starter home, perhaps a condo, and then to gradually build from there.

Long-term goals can be determined for ten, twenty or thirty years in the future. Whatever the length of time determined for accomplishment of the goal, it is always important to have at least one dream because without a dream, life will have no zest for us. A goal can be based on a career, education, our financial situation or a personal dream such as being married or having children by a certain age.

Once the ultimate dream has been determined, stepping stones to accomplishing the goal can be broken down into achievable segments. During this process daily, monthly and yearly lists become useful tools, reminders and motivators.

But it is important to remember to stay focused when we have goals and to never let our dreams die.