Peter Laws

Goal setting is very important because without aims and aspirations we are like a rudderless boat becalmed on a wide open ocean. To get great results you need to make strong goals and plan a clear path to success…
Goal setting is the process you use to set your direction in life. By setting goals on a routine basis you decide what you want to achieve, and then move step-by-step towards the achievement of these goals. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know what you have to concentrate on to do it. You also know what is merely a distraction.

Goal setting is a technique used by top-level athletes, successful business-people and achievers in all fields. Numerous studies have shown that goal setting improves performance and success in all areas of your life. The goals you set give you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses your acquisition of knowledge and helps you to organize your resources.

By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals. You can see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. By setting goals, you will also raise your self-confidence, as you recognize your ability and competence in achieving the goals that you have set. The process of achieving goals and seeing this achievement gives you confidence that you will be able to achieve higher and more difficult goals.

Goals are set on a number of different levels: first you decide what you want to do with your life and what large-scale goals you want to achieve. Second, you break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit so that you reach your lifetime goals. Finally, once you have your plan, you start working towards achieving it.

http://www.completefitness.com.au/articles/motivation/goalsetting1.php