How to Plan for Future Goals
When Yogi Berra said, "If you don't know where you are going, you will end up somewhere else," he illustrated what happens when people fail to set goals in life. Although you may have a vague notion of where you want to go or what you want to do, without specific goals, you can easily lose your focus. Before you begin the process of setting goals, take some time to think about what you want to achieve. Jot down a list of ideas to help you refine and set goals for your future.
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Instructions
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Review your list of goal-setting ideas. Remember these are just your initial thoughts, and you can change them to meet your needs. This is the time to dream about what you really want in life.
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Write down several long-term goals. You may wish to include personal, business, relationship and health goals. This is the "big picture" of how you want your life to look. Keep in mind that too many goals can become overwhelming. Three to five initial goals are more manageable.
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Note the time when you want to complete the long-term goal. Perhaps you want to earn a certain salary or live in a particular home. Set a realistic date for the completion of the goal. You may need to build skills or change jobs to attain your financial goals. Keep dates reasonable and attainable.
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Break your goals down into actionable steps. This section focuses on what you need to do to reach the goal. If your goal is financial, your short-term goals may include finding a new job, brushing up the resume, attending classes or working overtime. Note the completion time of the short-term goal.
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Type up your goals, and display them in a visible area. Taping them to the mirror or hanging them near your work desk assures you will review the goals daily. Some prefer to include the goals in their daily calendar or to create a multimedia presentation for their desktop. The important thing, at this point, is to keep the goals visible.
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Share your goals with friends or loved ones. A study conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews, Psychology Professor at Dominican University of California, followed 149 participants for four weeks to assess how well they achieved their goals. It revealed that sharing your goals with another person significantly increases your ability to attain the goal.
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Review your goals and your progress toward meeting the goals daily. Check off short-term goals when you achieve them. Seeing progress toward your goals helps keep motivation high. According to Mind Tools, reviewing your goals daily keeps you on track toward reaching your goals.
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