Everyone likes to set goals and to dream big, but actually reaching those goals and dreams is often difficult. One crucial problem may be that you aren't being specific enough when thinking about and articulating what it is you want to achieve.
It's hard to begin or maintain a goal when your objectives are too vague. Take a common goal of trying to lose weight. Many dieters fall into the "my objectives are too vague" category and it causes them to lose incentive. For instance, they may set a weight loss goal of losing 40 or 50 pounds, but then what? After a few weeks, with no real plan in place, they get discouraged.
By being specific and detailed about your goal, however, you increase your chances for success. You could set up a very specific goal of losing two pounds a week: one and a half pounds through diet, and a half pound through exercise. Now you can easily calculate how many calories you need to eat each day, and how much exercise you need to meet your weight loss goals.
Of course, this is only the beginning of the battle, but getting off on the right foot with a real and specific plan in place puts you ahead of the game and encourages you to stick with your goal. This simple but effective concept can be applied to any goal you have and will help you stay on the path to success.
Take another very common example. Some people when asked what they wish for most in life will say, "I want to be rich."
Okay, well, who doesn't? "One day I want to be rich" is a very enticing dream, but what road map can you follow to be rich? How do you even start to achieve such a vague goal?
Instead, you might set a more specific and definable goal of opening your own business. This, by the way, probably won't make you rich, but now you can see you have a real starting point. You are no longer living in dreamland. You now have something to work toward, something real to achieve.
And who knows, as you go along in the process of defining and achieving, you may find that your dreams change along with you. Maybe being wealthy really isn't that important to you, afterall. Maybe the personal satisfaction of starting and running your own business is achievement enough for you. And if you can make a decent living out of it, then you really have achieved something.
These are just two examples of how giving your goals and dreams specific details can help you get started on your way and increase you chances for success. It's okay to set big goals and have great expectations in life. Just remember, a dream will always remain a dream unless you can give it a specific and achievable definition.
Paula A. Parker is a freelance writer and owner of http://www.behappyzone.com where she writes inspirational articles about finding happiness and maintaining a positive outlook in life. You can read more about reaching goals in her article: Keeping Your Dreams Alive
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