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If you want to accomplish anything in life, setting goals is going to be the first step. From losing weight to career success to making a business profitable, life is really all about having the right goals. Unfortunately many people are not setting goals for themselves in their life, which explains why so many people never achieve their true potential. Actually, one of the main reasons that people are not setting goals today is that they really don't even know where to begin. So, if you are ready to start learning how to set goals, here are six essential tips to keep in mind.

Tip #1 - Start Dreaming and Write Down Your Dreams - Before you start writing down your dreams you're going to first have to start with realizing your dreams. If you don't have dreams, you don't have a destination. So you wouldn't be able to make clear goals to accomplish a dream you don't have. Through out time many people gain an inability to dream from all the shattered hopes they have had to endure. This leads to a lack in motivation for achievement. Saying this take sometime to yourself and get things started by dreaming of what you want to be, what you want to do, or even what you want to have. Then, after that get those dreams written down onto paper.

Tip #2 - Ask the Question, 'Why?' - Now that you have your dreams written down take a second look at them. While you are giving them a second glance stop at each dream and ask yourself 'why?' is it your dream. Why is this dream important to you? If you cannot answer this question without at least a few sentences, it probably isn't truly one of your dreams let alone keep you motivated to accomplish a goal, and therefore should ultimately be crossed off your list.

Tip #3 - Is it really YOUR Goal? - Many people are influenced by others to pursue dreams of that other person and not ones they would like to pursue. So take another look and make sure it was YOUR goal and not a goal someone else would like you to pursue. If the dream or goal wasn't yours to start out with, but one that someone else wants you to do, then cross that off your list also.

Tip #4 - Figure out How the Goal Will Affect Your Life - You are on the right track now. The dreams you have left on your list now need to be reviewed. This time you need to determine how these dreams are going to affect your life. When you accomplish these goals are they going to make you more happy than what you are now? Are these goals going to cause an improvement in the relationships you currently have with people? Will they cause an improvement in security with these people? Is it going to have a positive outcome on your financial affairs? If the answer is no they won't them cross those goals off your list because if you know the outcome of that goal isn't going to make a positive reaction in your life then it's going to be hard to stay motivated to accomplish it.

Tip #5 - Categorize Your Goals - By now your list should be narrowed down to real goals, instead of just desires and thoughts. At this point you need to categorize your goals into sections, depending on how long it should take you to reach them. You will have long range goals that will take more than a year to achieve, short range goals that should take less than a month for you to achieve, and intermediate goals that will take anywhere from a month to a year to achieve. Remember, you should have big goals, and you should also make sure to have goals in every category so you are constantly working towards goals in your life.

Tip #6 - Plan How You Will Achieve Your Goals - After you've established what your goals are, you need to plan how you will achieve them. You should always be working toward your goals, even if it's simply taking small steps in the right direction. Be sure not to overwhelm yourself when trying to reach those goals. It will take some time management and motivation on your part to plan and complete these tasks, but it will be worth it. Create a chart with the activities you plan to do to help you achieve your goals, and as you perform those activities mark them down on your chart. This will help you see the achievements you are making as you get closer and closer to achieving your goals.