If there is one message I must get across, it is this. You must start setting goals in every major area of your life. Right now, whatever your age, whatever you are doing.

Without something to focus on, the decisions we make and actions we take daily will not have any long-term direction, and will not result in any kind of achievement.

Without direction, we will be caught up with short term outcomes like paying the bills, watching TV, going shopping, trying out the newest restaurant, avoiding problems or simply making it through one hectic week after another. Like rats on a treadmill. We will tend to be caught up in a stressed and monotonous existence instead of designing a destiny and truly living.

The human mind is always pursing some kind of goal, however feeble. If we don't focus our mind on long term goals that lead us to success, our minds will tend to focus on short term and small goals that serve only to distract us and waste our time.

I always like to use a river as a metaphor for life. We are all in our boats moving down this raging river which splits into many tributaries downstream, representing the many outcomes. Which tributary we take will determine where we end up.

When we are clear which stream we want to take, we will begin rowing in that direction. Now, along the way, there are definitely going to be currents that pull us in different directions.

There are going to be rocks and rapids that block our path. But if we stay focused on where we want to go, we will just keep rowing steadfastly, re-directing our boat until we get to our destination.

However, if we go through life without any clear idea of where we are going and where we want to end up, we will just row our boats aimlessly. We will just allow the currents and the rocks to move us in all directions.

This is what happens to most people. There end up going down a stream that they don't want to be in. When they finally realize that it is not an outcome they want, they start paddling hard to avoid it. By this time, for many, it will be too late.

They go over the rapids (disaster) or finish up in a dead-end mill pond. They end up feeling frustrated, disillusioned and unfulfilled in the many different areas of their life. So, surely it is time to start deciding where you want to end up in your river of life!

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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Comments

Great article.
If you'd like a tool for setting your goals, you can use this web application:

http://www.Gtdagenda.com

You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
A mobile version and iCal are available too.

 Posted by: Dan at September 24, 2008 8:20 PM

In other words: If you do not know where you are going, you will most likely end up nowhere. In business and in real life it is very important to set endpoints. You do not have to necessarily know how you will get there (although that will help you reach them faster). Set major goals (reaching $x in sales, getting a business degree) and a few milestones (call/email x customers today, choosing x classes this semester) to encourage you along the way.

 Posted by: Matt at September 24, 2008 8:55 PM

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