You’ve always thought of yourself as a go-getter. Good grades were important, and you have always maintained your health and physique. Your bills are paid on time, and you get your car’s oil changed right on schedule. Those are admirable life skills, for sure. But why do you have that nagging feeling that you could be achieving more? What about that career change you’ve been thinking about? What about that great idea you’ve had for a start-up?

Are you working towards your goals, or only dreaming about them?

Your hard work will always be the most important key to your success, but if you haven’t formulated goals correctly, it will be challenging to accomplish them. A few of the criteria that your goals, both short and long term, should meet are listed here:

Specificity. Sure, you want to be successful. Who doesn’t? But what does success mean to you, specifically? Not everyone wants to be a CEO.

Measurability. Establish a time-frame for achieving your goals, and note how you will determine when each goal has been reached.

Positivity. Don’t be negative! Establish goals that you want, and not those that you want to avoid. Your goal should be to make your life better, not less bad.

Reality. Set goals that are compatible with your existing abilities and skills. Know yourself.

Achievability. You can divide a long term goal into smaller goals over time.

Actionability. If you need training to gain a necessary skill, get the training. Take the class.

Flexibility. You will encounter barriers and challenges along the way. That’s life. Don’t give up when you meet them- modify your goals accordingly. Being flexible means that you are willing to let go of goals that no longer speak to you, allowing yourself to put energy into pursuing others that do.

Achieving your dreams is all about setting goals. If you need help or want to talk, I’m here. I’m AnnaVija, and one of my goals is to help you find your happiness, improve your life, grow your business, and thrive.