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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 - First of all, if you want to set goals you are going to have to take the time to do some dreaming. If you have no dreams, then it will be difficult to come up with goals for your life. Sadly many people have actually lost the ability to dream in their life and subsequently their motivation for achievement. So, to get yourself started, take some time to dream about things you want to do, who you would like to be, or even about what you would like to have. Once you come up with your dreams then actually put those dreams down on paper.

Tip #2 - Ask the Question, 'Why?' - After you have come up with your list of dreams, then you need to wait a bit and take another look at all the dreams on your list. As you look over those dreams, ask yourself why this dream is important to you. If you can't even come up with a good reason to have this dream or a few sentences to describe why this is important to you, then it probably is not even a dream and it definitely will not become a goal. So, if you can't answer the question for a specific dream, you'll probably want to cross it 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 - Now that you have narrowed down your list of dreams, take a look at what is left. Then take the dreams that are left on the list and figure out how the goal would affect your life. Will achieving this goal make you happier than you are now? Will it improve your security or improve the relationships that you have with other people? Will it affect your financial affairs in a positive way? If the goal is not going to have a positive effect on your life, then it probably should be dropped by the wayside too. If you know that your achievements will positively influence your life, then you are more likely to have the motivation to pursue and achieve those goals.

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.