Set Attainable Goals

by Melissa
(Massachusetts)

Setting attainable goals is very important. Although having long-term goals can be a useful tool, striving for a goal that you cannot possibly attain in the next few years is not going to be very workable. Having short-term goals gives you something more immediate to work towards.

For example, you may wish to buy a house. However, with a goal such as that, there are typically many steps. First, you would have to build up your credit. You would have to have a steady job with a reasonable income, and a source of credit, either bills or a credit card. It may be helpful to get a raise at your work, and that could be a smaller goal. If you can set a goal that can be accomplished in a month or six that will be a more reasonable and successful type of goal setting than simply having major life goals that will take years to attain.

That's not to say you can't choose goals that you have to work for. Goals are our ideals, our hopes and dreams. Don't be too afraid of over-shooting, just be realistic. Write or type your goals and post them somewhere you can see them every day. If you're at a time in your life where you have to work for a particularly long time to accomplish a major goal like graduating from college or buying a house, then having small goals will help you significantly.