Many people in the world feel adrift and cannot achieve things no matter how hard they work. They lack one important thing – good planning. If you have set some strong life goals for yourself, you’ll know what to aim to accomplish.  Your goals will, in return boost your motivation and make you work harder.

Goals are the results we aim to reach through actions. What we do and how we act can either move us closer to the desired result or farther away from it. For example, if your goal was to pass an important test, studying will take you closer to accomplishing it. If you choose to procrastinate and do nothing, this will take you in the other direction.

Successful people set their goals. Here are some tips on how to create life goals and put them into action.

Set the Big Goals First
You need to start with the big things. What do you want to accomplish in your life? Go broad and consider a distant time in the future. Based on your big goals, you can set smaller goals that will help you get there. This will also give you an overall perspective and help shape your decision-making processes.

There are many areas of life you can cover with big goals. You will probably need several goals in your list. Some will apply to your family life, other to your career, and of course – educational goals. There are also financial goals, athletic or physical goals, etc.

Start by brainstorming the things you’d like to accomplish in life and choose the goals that best reflect your desires. When choosing the big goals, pick the ones that you personally want to reach, not the ones that your family or friends inflict on you.

Whenever you create a goal, use the SMART technique. This applies to Specific or Significant, Meaningful or Measurable, Attainable or Action-Oriented, Rewarding or Relevant, and Trackable or Time-Bound.

Set Smaller Goals Next
Once you have lifetime goals to strive to meet, you need shorter, smaller goals that will get you there. What is your five-year plan? What’s your list of accomplishments you want to do by the end of the year? What is it that you want to have done by the end o1f the month, week, or day?

All of these small to-do lists should slowly take you to complete the big goal. For example, if you plan to graduate from school, you need to start with subjects. If you study psychology and have to pass this to obtain your degree, you need to attend classes, study for exams, and write many papers. If you have a paper due in a few days, you need to make sure that you can fit the work into your schedule. Your to-do list will tell you when you need to have it done, and you can choose useful psychology essay examples to get some inspiration and motivation for your paper.

Stay on Course
When you get started, the biggest task you have is to remain on course. Review your to-do lists, update them constantly, and scratch off all those things that you’ve completed. Crossing things off a list gives you a magical feeling and will motivate you to keep going.

Some Other Tips for Setting Achievable Goals
In addition to these three crucial steps, you can use some of the following tips:
Make your goals a positive statement;
Be accurate and precise with goals (put in times, dates, and any amounts that are measurable);
Set your priorities straight;
Keep all operational goals as small as possible. This will make them achievable and you’ll be more motivated to work to reach them;
Set realistic goals only. Don’t go over your head. If you cannot achieve a goal, do not put it on a list. This will make you lose motivation and focus;
Work on various techniques to beat procrastination and laziness. There are many ways to keep yourself motivated.

Final Thoughts
All of us strive to accomplish things in life. Those who have a clear idea of what they want to accomplish can create a clearer path toward their final goals. This is why, if you want to truly be successful, you need to do some planning. If you don’t know what you want to achieve, how will you be happy with any results?

Robert Everett is a motivational speaker and a former psychologist. He worked with college students in helping them overcome obstacles in life. Right now, Everett shares his knowledge and expertise on forums, in blog posts, journals, as well as holds private sessions for people who need him.