Goal Setting for Teens

Just how many of us really set realistic goals in our life? Goal setting is a good idea for any person. They could cut out being so disorganized in their life. When any one sets daily goals they quickly realize that their day would run smoothly and not have as many mishaps that makes you have a lot of stress from something not going just right and running out of time try to get it done.

When some set goals in their life it might not be because they want to it may just be because they have to, so they do not have lots of chaos in their life. This group of people may even need to write down when they are to arrive at the grocery store to do the shopping and even how long it is to take in the store. Some people just need that organization in their life to live freely and peacefully.

When you set goals for the day and have them out for everyone too see them you will notice that if you have kids they will soon start to fallow them, with a little help. After a while you would end up noticing that the kids have set their own goals that they would like to achieve in their daily life.

One example is that they set the time to get up, brush their teeth, get a bath for bed, and even go to bed. That does not include the time at school and any other chores or tasks that they would want to put in there on their own.

Really every one needs to set a life goal and work hard to achieve the goals that you set for yourself or your family.

One thing that you need to think about when you set the goals in your life is that you need to make sure that you do not set goals that are completely out of reach and are too hard for you to accomplish. Some of the goals that an adult could set for himself or herself are better schooling, better position in the work force, or even working toward a promotion.

Traditional goal setting does not work as effectively as most ‘experts’ would have you believe.
This is because there is one factor, one key, a missing link, which, without it, you’d simply have no motivation to go about doing the things you are supposed to do to bring about the achievement of your goal.
And that is the big picture. What do I mean by the big picture?
The big picture is like a vision. It’s an obsession. A passion. A dream. A big, grand, bold dream that you have for your life.
In other words, it is a purpose. A life purpose.
I know these may all sound like big words to you, but the point here is for you to have an ultimate purpose for all your goals in life. What most people have are goals for material objects or for career advancements or monetary gains.
Most people, and I didn’t say all, merely stop at these ‘bite-sized pieces’, these small goals when it comes to goal setting. They don’t continue on to think about why they set these goals and for what even bigger purpose do they set these goals.
Ask yourselves – why do I want this new Mercedes? Why do I want this big mansion? Why do I want to earn an extra $100,000 a year? Why do I want to have so and so person as my spouse? Why?
Keep asking why. And again, most people would realise that it comes down to a feeling or sense of fulfilment, happiness, of being loved, of being secure and safe, or of being free. Some people would just say, “I just want these things”.
Well, all that may sound good and fine but do you truly think that once you get that Mercedes or that big mansion or the extra $100,000 a year or that person as your spouse, you’d be truly happy, fulfilled, free, secure and alive?
Try and look back at one past goal which you have achieved. Take a look at one milestone which you’ve already gone through. Do you find yourself something saying something like, “And now what”?
Most of us do. That’s because we don’t have that biggest, ultimate, most grand purpose for our lives. The reason why we are born. Some people call it destiny, or phrase it as “God’s place for you in the world”. Whatever it is, don’t think of it as something beyond your power.
This thing called purpose or the big picture is a thing that is both within your power to choose and also outside your power to choose. It is the sum total of all your life choices from the day you were born up to this very day.
The proof that it is within your power to choose is the fact that you’d been making all the choices and decisions in your life all this while, asking for this and that, regardless of whether or not you get what you asked for, to build up an image, a vision or The Big Picture of your life, which is your ultimate life purpose – that reason you were born and the thing that you must fulfill in your life before you die.
Whereas the proof that it is also beyond your power to choose is the fact that you already have made all those choices before in your past and there is little or nothing you can do to alter those choices you’ve made in the past. There are some decisions we made which we can undo, but not without a significant amount of trouble, and there are many decisions we simply cannot undo.
This is the irony of human life and why it is beautiful to be human.
But if you are sitting right there where you are, reading this post, you still have hope. You do still have a chance. Create for yourself a grand vision of your life – why you are here on this earth. Conceive big, bold dreams.
Imagine you are a historian or a scholar studying the history of your life. What would you like to be remembered for? What would you like to be famous for? What would you like to be associated with whenever your name is mentioned?
Write an essay about yourself, as if you were a historian in the future, looking back into your life. Include all the glorious things you have achieved, and even the flaws, the mistakes and huge failures you’ve made. But also include how you’ve transcended these flaws, mistakes and failures. Write about the difference you’ve made to the world, no matter how small (or big) it is.
Have you left behind a wonderful family? Have you left behind a legacy? Have you left behind a successful business? Or simply a happy memory in the mind of a person you’ve helped in a small or big way?
Now, after you’ve done this exercise, you may proceed with your traditional goal setting methods. Create sub-goals out of this big goal of your life. Create the secondary goals to this primary goal. Set the milestone goals that would define your ultimate life purpose.
What this does to you is create a certain insurance or feeling of security, because, although you may fail to achieve your small goals (no matter how bold they seem to be), you’re still on track because you have not lost sight of your ultimate life goal.

It’s another long day, but much is not happening. Your mind drifts and you think about sunny beaches, and the cool breeze. Though this feels great this idea unfortunately will very likely never happen.
Ask a lot of people what they want and you will often hear materialistic desires of ‘I want a yacht’, ‘I want my dream home’, etc. Though many people never get these things, why? All through life we often hear we have potential, but for many that potential is never seen.
Potential means exactly that, potential. Like there is some big power there, but it is in resting state. Kind of like a person sleeping or even a car just sitting there. The needed part is breaking out and utilizing that machinery. Whether a human or a vehicle, you must simply get up and go!
Goal setting comes to our attention, and for those that really don’t understand they would tend to think we are talking about New Year resolutions! No, not that time of year! Goal setting is about consciously deciding what you want. And daydreaming simply does not cut the mustard.
So, what is the difference between daydreaming and vision creating? And how does all of this mix in with goal setting, to the end of getting a result you want? These questions are important ones, and it is great to understand them. After all, clarity is power.
Setting goals is one of the first steps to goal achievement. Achieving a goal needs you to know what you want. One method of peering into that is via a vision. A vision can help focus your mind, and is very real.
There is a place, a space that when you create your vision, you are actually putting that vision to a place to be created. In essence, placing an order so to speak, to God, higher power, the ineffable. We have looked at a daydream. A daydream is simply escaping our conscious reality. Unfortunately day dreaming is not creating anything.
A vision is when you base your desire on reality, and design life as you want it to be. Daydreaming is not really conscious, you can’t really say daydream, and you start daydreaming! However, a vision can be made in such a way.
You can look at the things you want in life, and in your mind, create a vision, which is very real. A vision is an order to the universe. You then move forward with that vision, and soon find at some point, that you are living that vision.
Vision creation and goal setting can go hand in hand. Many people will overlook this important point. In fact many goal setting programs, books, etc, totally forget or don’t know about this important process.
Creating your vision can be much better than affirmations, and also can help you think about if you truly want that thing. Doing your vision creation often and taking action is the only way to materialize your desires.

Are you ready to live a highly successful life, achieve all of your goals, and enjoy the success you know deep down that you really deserve? If your answer is yes then before you go any further you must answer the following searching question.
Just what is your purpose in life? If you dont have a ready answer, dont be too surprised. Even the greatest of the philosophers who have ever lived succeeded only in making this question more profound. Why? Because the answer lies not in simply knowing what is your purpose in life but lies in discovering what is your goal in life. The last one is only possible if you have already gone through the process of goal setting.
Soul searching is actually personal goal setting in its infancy. The only problem is that for many people that infant never grows up into maturity. The person involved in soul searching might dismiss this process as nothing but being sentimental. Without realizing it, the person has just killed the infant, or his chance to flesh out the course of his purpose driven life.
But luckily, soul searching is a recurring process. So the next time you have been given the honor of another visit, be mindful.
Personal goal setting is a powerful tool for setting a course for a meaningful and fulfilling life. The process of personal goal setting in itself is powerful enough so that if you are going through with the process you might think that your lifes meaning or purpose had been found. But it is not. The euphoria is only a result of your self finally realizing that you are on the right track.
For some, the process itself is motivating. Once you have found a way of making this a habit, you will soon realize that achieving your goals that look like impenetrable walls in the past is nothing but a purpose that needs a set of personal goals as the key.
Personal goal setting: what should be set?
Since there is more to life than the four letters that it represents, personal goal setting involves a review of all the aspects of your life, and all of these should have a corresponding goal. But before going to the process of setting up goals, you must have one general goal that encompasses all the other goals. In fact the other and smaller goals should work in the service of this large goal of yours.
1 Career. What aspect of your career do you think needs an improvement? Or perhaps, ask yourself, is it time for a new career?
2 Outlook or attitude. Is there a part of you, particularly on how you perceive things, that needs to be changed?
3 Financial. Do you have a clear projection as to how much you should be earning in a particular moment in your life? This aspect is closely related with career, so better review and come out with a goal with these two side by side.
4 Potential development. Perhaps some of your talents and skills need an improvement, or are maybe already clamoring for an improvement. Life, after all, is discovering your potential and developing it in the process.
5 Academic. Perhaps you are no longer getting any mental stimulation lately. Maybe your education related goals have expired many years ago. Perhaps it is time to go back to school for another degree, or engage in some thought provoking activities.
6 Family. What is your idea of a family? Getting married, having and raising kids? When? How?
7 Social involvement. Perhaps you want to help achieve something that would make the world a better place? Perhaps you are into animal protection, environmental concerns, and human rights issues?
These are just some aspects that generally come to mind when it comes to personal matters. If you feel or think that this list is not enough, or does not fit well with you, you may add or change it. Remember, personal goal setting is what its name is, a personal task. It is all up to you to device it and make it happen.
This article has just scratched the surface as far as goal setting is concerned. There is a lot more information out there in such places as the local library, the local bookstore, and also there are a number of very helpful Blogs on this subject.

The basics of setting a goal is an open secret known by top-caliber athletes, successful businessmen and businesswomen and all types of achievers in all the different fields. The basics of setting goals give you short-term and long-term motivation and focus. They help you set focus on the acquisition of required knowledge and help you to plan and organize your resources and your time so that you can get the best out of your life.
Setting clearly defined short term and long term goals will enable you to measure your progress and achieve personal satisfaction once you have successfully met your goals. Charting your progress will also enable you to actually see the stages of completion leading to the actual realization of your goals. This eliminates the feeling of a long and pointless grind towards achieving your goal. Your self-confidence and level of competence will also improve as you will be more aware of your capabilities as you complete or achieve your goals.
The basics of goal settings will involve deciding what you really want to do with your personal life and what short term and long term goals you need to achieve it. Then you have to break down goals into the smaller and manageable targets that you must complete in your way to achieving your lifetime targets. Once you have your list waste no time in tackling your goals.
A good way to have a manageable list is to have a daily and weekly set of goals. By doing this you will be always in the position of going towards you life plan goals. Everyday will give you the opportunity to fulfill a certain goal giving you the feeling of accomplishment.
Here are some pointers that should be taken into consideration in setting goals and achieving them.
Attitude plays a very big role in setting and achieving your goals. You must ask yourself if any part of you or your mind is holding you back towards completing your simplest goals? Is there any part of your behavior that is being a hindrance or puts your plans into disarray? If you do have problems in these areas then the immediate thing to do is to address this problem. Solutions may include a visit to a doctor or psychiatrist to control your emotions.
Careers are made by good time management practice. Failing in a career is often attributed to bad time management. Careers require a lot from an individual which often makes the career the life of the individual. Plan how far you want to go into your career.
Education is key in achieving your goals. If your goals require you to have a certain kind of degree or require a certain specialization or demand a certain skill to be developed, make plans in getting the appropriate education.
Your family should never be left out of your plans. If you are just starting out then you have to decide if you want to be a parent or when you want to be a parent. You also have to know if you really would be a good parent and how well would you relate to extended family members
Personal financial situations also play a major role in achieving your goals. Have a realistic goal on how much you really want to earn. You also must be able to create plans or stages by which you will be able to reach your earnings potential.
Physically gifted individuals may be able to achieve sports related goals like being in the National Basketball association or National Football League. Determining your physical capabilities should be one of your priorities. Physical limitations could however be conquered with proper planning.
As the saying goes -’All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’, or something to that effect, is by all means true down to the last the letter. Giving yourself a little pleasure should be included into your plans.
To start achieving your lifetime goals, set a quarter of a century plan, then break it down to 5 year plans then break it down again to 1 year plans, then 6 month plans then monthly plans, then weekly, then daily. Then create a things-to-do list for the day.
Always review your plans and prepare for contingencies.
The basics of goal settings should not be so difficult once you get to be familiar with them.

It seems like every personal development coach has something to say about goal setting. It seems as though every seminar you attend, some goal setting seems to be sprinkled in to the day. So, why is goal setting so important, and why does it work?
We start life with high hopes. We all do. However, at the end, only a handful will look upon there lives with contentment. So few realize an amazing life, because of feelings of being limited. These feelings of being limited are a big concern.
If we look at life, we see that out of 100 people interviewed at a 25, all with high hopes, only 5 will be financially independent. And this does not just apply to money, as these 5 people generally live the life they want. So many don’t however.
There is another interesting correlation, and I think they are linked. Only 4-7 people out of 100 set goals. And it is amazing to see, because if you ask those 5 people in the 100, they do one thing in common and that is set goals.
If we consider that 7 people will set goals, and only 5 achieve then that says to us that the other 2 who failed, even though they set goals, is because of setting a goal they are not passionate about achieving. The truth is that goal setting does work, and has worked for all people since the beginning of time.
If you consider for a moment life as a goal setter, and life as a drifting purposeless endeavor, you can see that without a goal how will we get anywhere? Goal setting works because it causes us to focus on what we want. It is like watching television. While watching television, you can get so absorbed into the TV, that the actual TV set disappears!
That focus in our goals gives us a direction. It focuses our minds, and we can look at how we can make those goals reality. And this process can be simple, smart or full of so many components that it is hard to move forward.
By far the biggest achievers are goal setters. They think about what they want, and then move forward to make those goals reality. It is simplicity in itself, and here is how it works. We are goal orientated beings. We feel hungry, and we go and get food. We feel like going on vacation, and take steps to get there.
Goal setting can be viewed in such light, and can really transform your life. If you let it. So what is one goal that you really want to achieve? Go do it, and then tell me about it.

You have heard everyone in the personal development world, tell you the importance of goal setting, but is goal setting that important? Why should you hold to the belief of the importance of goal setting, and actually set goals?
Let’s face it, the majority of people in the main, are negative. We hear all of what is not possible, we hear that there is no hope, and friends and family often do not help with giving us a positive mental attitude.
Why is your mental attitude got to do with the importance of goal setting? If we listen to those that offer the negative advice of what is not possible, then we simply end up living life like the majority, and that is mediocrity. Lack and limitation exist for a population that simply fringes on the possibilities. Often they will term riches and wealth as good luck.
The importance of goal setting now comes into effect for the person who sees a glimmer of hope. You take a look, and see the possibilities, like a ray of light, you see through the darkness, and come to know something new – that you have been lied to.
Whether with no money, no relationships, bad health, you can transform to have wealth, great loving relationships, and health prosperity. All this becomes possible with goal setting. The importance of goal setting now becomes known.
The few who achieve set goals. Though all set goals to some degree, the winners in life have decided on a goal, rather than let life throw them about how it sees fit. Friends, family and society though with good intentions have not seen the truth.
To achieve anything worthy, you need to know what it is. Daydreamers lurk in many office buildings, dreaming of being in a Yacht, going on a cruise, even some more adventurous possibilities, such as sky diving, etc.
The few who achieve know a few things. When you learn these, you will also get great results. The first is to dream, but keep that dream based in reality. There is no point thinking of being like Superman as that is daydreaming. Also the Yacht may not be what you really want. What do you really want, and more importantly why do you want it.
The importance of goal setting becomes more known now. The true successful, once setting goals do what the majority wont. The majority will daydream, but never take action. They will do what we call escapism. The daydreaming is a fantasy to let the time pass, but the importance of goal setting, is to take action on what you desire.
The importance of goal setting must also be put into perspective, before closing this article. The process of consciously goal setting is not the be all and end all of success. It is only a guidance system. Like having the sand, cement and water, next you have to mix it.
Once you have your cement, it is time to do the work. You must now act, you must create the building, there is no point sitting and saying I have the ingredients. The sweating and the action is what will bring your goal to reality. To get to the park, you have to walk there.

From buying your dream home, to buying a private jet, right up to becoming an astronaut, goal setting makes it possible. No one has ever achieved any notable achievement before first doing some kind of goal setting method. In this article, we will take a look at the most simplest goal setting method that works, and can take you forward to your goals!
You first will need these items. Make sure you get them before continuing. It may be an idea to bookmark this, Digg this, blog this or even print it up for later use. Here are the items you will need to do goal setting:
* A pen
* Paper
* You
* Your mind and a goal
We will look at these in a kind of reverse order, as that is how it goes with goal setting, and goal achievement. You need to first have an idea, before you can write it down. Let us get started.
* Step 1 – Your Goal
To begin goal setting, you will need to do some thinking. What is a goal that you would like to achieve? What do you really want? Think about it, what is one desire you would really like to achieve? Preferably this goal is something you have never achieved before.
* Step 2 – You!
Remember that it is you who is the vehicle. A goal can not be achieved by you, without you! If you want a house, someone maybe able to build it for you, but it is through you giving your go-ahead.
Consider what you want, and what kind of things will be required for its achievement. Buying a dream home can be as simple as phoning a real estate agent or even going to visit to see property.
If your goal is a career goal, then you may have to get more education. All of these thoughts will need research. You may need to find out what kind of courses you need to embark on. You will also need to consider if you need any existing qualifications and skills before getting onto that course of education – if your goal needs some education.
* Step 3 – The Fun Begins
Now with your pen and paper, you need to write down your goal. Then you need to consider what you need to do, to get there. Often goals will have a lot of question marks, but as you go through step 4, you will achieve success, and find more answers.
* Step 4 – The Journey To Achievement
A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step! Without action goals can’t be achieved. So take action. Step 1 to 3 may have taken you 5 minutes, it may have taken a month, but step 4 is the journey, and can take long. Step into persistence, and you will succeed.
* Step 5 – The Seed Of Achievement
Step 4 is laying the seeds. Step 5 is the harvest. Your goal has been attained! Congratulations. Now it is time to look for bigger and better things to set goals on. Remember to get here requires time. And remember sooner you act, and persist, the quicker you will get here.

Copyright (c) 2008 Gavin Ingham

One of the issues that comes up frequently when running sales training seminars is the thorny issues of goals and goal setting. In my experience, few people seem to set any goals at all and even fewer stick to them! Ever since reading Anthony Robbins in my early twenties I have been a keen goal setter… and it has worked well for me. As a salesperson they helped to keep me on track, motivated and focused. As a manager they empowered me to take action to get results. As a motivational speaker in the sales training arena they have helped to give me the edge that I need to get the results that I want.

It’s common knowledge that most successful people set goals. Most successful people know what their goals are. Most successful people are aware of the power of goals and goal setting. I have written about how important setting goals is before so today I thought we would do something different…

I have interviewed my good friend Andy Smith of Coaching Leaders about the power of goals and goal setting across your whole life not just your sales and business goals. Andy is well qualified to answer these questions: he is an NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) trainer, EI (Emotional Intelligence) expert and executive coach who is a specialist in goal setting that really works. Andy is the author of the Dorling Kindersley book Achieve Your Goals: Strategies to Transform Your Life and has been featured in many publications talking about goal setting and other personal development subjects.

1. How will people benefit when they set goals?

Apart from being much more likely to achieve the goal itself, going for goals has an effect on our happiness levels. We are biologically hard-wired to feel happier if we have some sense of control and choice over our lives, which is what setting goals and taking action gives us. We change from feeling like victims of life’s circumstances, or at best passive consumers, into someone who knows they can make a difference. We are also learning along the way – even the mistakes we make, though they aren’t enjoyable at the time, will bring us valuable wisdom if we choose to learn from them.

2. Can you give us some specific examples of goals that people you know have set and achieved and how they have benefited?

Just some examples from my clients and students: some people have used these methods to hit and maintain their target weight and fitness levels for the first time for years, some have made their transition to a new career easier, or finally got around to living in a new country after dreaming about it for years. People have also used goal-setting to cope better with the curveballs life throws at us from time to time – divorces, redundancy, getting out of debt.

In my own life, I’d say the two biggest things so far becoming a published author (by Dorling Kindersley, a ‘proper’ publisher) and rather more significantly meeting my life partner Jules. I actually did set a goal of being happily married by the end of 2000, despite there being no remotely suitable candidates around at the time – and I’m happy to report that we did just squeak it in on December 29th of that year!

3. Given that, why is it do you think that most people don’t set goals?

I think there are two things going on here. One is that in today’s busy society, they never get round to it. There is always something “urgent” clamouring for our attention, with more tasks waiting in line when that one is dealt with. If people do try to think about their goals, they may be too tired from all the busywork to do them justice. So it requires a conscious effort to step off the hamster wheel and take some time to think about what’s important to you and where you want to get to. The best advice I’ve ever been given was “plan the time to plan” – set aside some protected time so that you can think about the future. This is equally important whether you’re working for yourself or in employment.

4. Is the old story that written goals are better than non-written goals true?

There’s a famous story about the “Yale Study” in which researchers asked Yale’s graduating class of 1953 how many of them had specific goals for their future in writing. Twenty years later, the 3% who had written goals had more personal wealth than the other 97% combined!

It’s a compelling story, it’s quoted by Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy and Zig Ziglar, plus legions of other motivational speakers and it sounds as if it ought to be true – but, alas, it never happened. You’ll never see an academic reference for it, Yale have no record of it, and when ‘Fast Company’ magazine investigated the origin of the story, Robbins’ people directed them to Brian Tracy, Tracy said he heard it from Zig Ziglar, and Ziglar’s people suggested the source might be Robbins!

It’s still a good idea to write your goals down though – it’s the best way to get clear about them and keep them in the forefront of your attention.

For the rest of this interview check out part 2 or visit my website now.