Goals

Goals.

Have you ever set out to do something big, only to fall short of the desired outcome? 

Of course you have ... unless you're one of those people, you know, the ones who seem to always finish projects, accomplish tasks, and knock out to-do lists regularly.

I believe those people have learned a skill that is key to getting things done: setting reasonable goals. 

Goals are best when attainable and, more importantly,  measurable.  If you want to see a change, it's a good idea to create an atmosphere of success. 

Attainable goals are those which are within reach of your current situation.  Don't sign up to run a marathon next month if you are currently not regularly exercising.  Sounds silly to say that, but how many times have we set out to realize a dream only to fail?  Try to divide those larger goals into smaller parts and watch yourself meet each of them in succession toward that impressive feat.

Measuring progress in a timely way is another key to meeting goals.  Figure out what you can do each day to show progress. Add that up to set a weekly goal, a monthly goal, and so on. Each goal met is a victory claimed.

I have a yearly running goal of 2014 miles.  I divided that into about 180 miles per month,  or about 5.5 miles a day.  I set this goal each of the past 4 years, and finally reached it last year.

Write out your set of goals and keep a journal.  Notice your progress, celebrate, and be good to yourself as you work hard to reach success.