Most things worth having require hard work and planning.
Life, however, will keep you busy and knock you off track if you're not paying attention.
Why Should You Set Goals?
Writing your goals down helps to:
Motivate You
Keep You Accountable
Keep Track
Reassess as Life Happens
Your
goals should be
S.M.A.R.T.
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time Bound
But what does that mean?
Specific:
Use detailed language and avoid generalities or things that are really difficult to define. You want someone to know exactly what you mean when they read it.
Measurable:
How will you know that you've met your goal? There needs to be a way to measure success.
Attainable:
Your goal needs to be possible in general and in the way and amount of time you you have to give.
Realistic:
Keep your realities in mind--your time, your abilities, your finances, your responsibilities.
Time Bound:
Goals are often easily thought of as short-, mid-, and long-term goals.
Short-term: less than 1 year
Mid-Term: 3-5 years
Long-Term: 10 years
More Tips:
Start brainstorming by sitting down with a blank piece of paper and writing down everything that comes to mind as fast as you can for 5 minutes.
Then, take out what's irrelevant and distracting from your life goals.
More Tips:
Write your goals as positive statements.
Rather than "Stop wasting time on social media", write "devote my free time to productive activities." Even better, you could write "devote my free time to organizing my business/home."
More Tips:
Consider separating goals into related categories.
Set performance goals, not outcome goals.
Consider getting an accountability partner.
Finally, periodically reevaluate your goals.
Life happens and your time, resources, and responsibilities may change.
Update your goals accordingly.