Very specific goals are important to develop, though. They allow you to formulate a plan to reach them, and give you means by which to measure your success in life. You can use your goals as a roadmap as you drive yourself from one point to another, ensuring you stay on track and do not wander too far afield. Your goals are your homing device, making sure you do not get lost along the way.

It is far too easy to become distracted by circumstances which may seem terribly important at the time, but in the overall scheme of your life, really have no particular bearing on your goals. This is yet another reason why specific goals serve as an important tool to guide you.

1.    Develop Long-Term and Short-Term Goals

Think about where you would like to be ten years from now, or twenty years from now. How much money would you like to be making? What city or town would you like to be living in? Do you want to achieve a promotion within your company, or would you rather be traveling the world? Whatever your goals are, write them down. Include your time table for those goals.

Now think about the steps you need to take in order to meet your mark for the long-term goals you just developed. If you want a promotion at work, do you need to become part of a special committee to get face time with the right people? Do you need to work on special projects? What types of things does your company require in order to consider you an excellent candidate for a leadership role?

What steps do you need to take to achieve your long-term financial goals? Do you need to save a certain amount of money each month? Do you need to pay down your debts? Consider what you need to do to have your finances in order by the time you reach the date of your long-term goals.

2.    Keep a Journal

You can accomplish many things by keeping a journal. You can see patterns in your life that tend to repeat themselves, you can discover feelings you were never before aware of, and you can keep track of important events in your life.

One important aspect of goal setting is knowing when you have accomplished those goals. Many times we cruise through life on auto-pilot, achieving many great successes yet never fully realizing or appreciating them.

Keeping a journal will help you recognize when you have accomplished one of your important goals. The feeling of fulfillment you experience upon this recognition will energize you and give you the motivation you need to continue moving forward. You need positive affirmation of your successes along the way, and keeping a journal is one way to ensure you are in touch with your progress.

3.    Celebrate Your Accomplishments

Just as important as recognizing your achievements is the celebration of them. As a method of keeping your motivation levels high, write down small things you would like to have. Each time you achieve one of your goals, reward yourself with one of the gifts from your list. They do not need to be extravagant - perhaps a half-hour of uninterrupted reading time, an afternoon nap, or a long bubble bath is reward enough. If so, hire a babysitter or make arrangements for the rest of the family to go to a movie while you enjoy your solitude.

Goals are so much more than some abstract idea about where we would like to be in life. When focused upon correctly, they create the drive and motivation to succeed in accomplishing those goals. They serve as markers by which we can tangibly measure our progress, and recognizing their fulfillment provides us with a great sense of pride. Consciously making realistic, achievable goals and then knowingly achieving those goals adds to our own feelings of self worth and importance, making us all happier individuals who possess greater self confidence.