goal setting

The difference between goals and dreams...

Many of us dream of changing our life in some way - perhaps our dreams are modest, finding a more rewarding job or moving to a bigger house, for example, or perhaps they are huge, world-changing dreams, winning an Olympic gold medal or becoming a millionaire!

The main difference between dreams and goals is that dreams tend to be unfocused and non-specific. To turn a dream into a goal, you need to decide on two things - how much, and by when! For instance, Heather's dream is to be slim, healthy, and happy with her appearance. Her goals are specific, and include: to weigh 185 pounds by 6 p.m. on Tuesday 16 May 2006.

Once you have decided on your goals, the next step is to clarify them. Describe them in as much detail as you can. The more real a goal is to you, the more likely it is that you will achieve it.

For example, if your goal is to run a successful business, write down its specifics in vivid, colourful detail - the location, the size and appearance of your business. What will it be about? How many people will work for you, if any? How will you know that your business is successful? (Be as specific as possible here? How will you measure 'success; - try to come up with an easily measurable goal.)

Also set a date by which they wish to achieve each goal. This is an essential step - a message to the subconscious mind telling it what it needs to work on and when it needs to happen.

Write down big goals that will stretch you, as well as goals that you can achieve quite easily. It is important to have some goals that require us to grow in order to achieve them - perhaps to learn new skills or build new relationships. You may feel uncomfortable with big goals because they are so far outside your comfort zone, but this is an important challenge that will help you to achieve their full potential.

learning for life

Learning is a life-long process that can enhance our life at every stage - whether we are training to develop work-related skills or pursuing our leisure interests. The following sites are useful starting points:

Learning Curve

Learndirect

For more on achieving your goals, download the following free guides:

Goal-setting Tools.

Stepping out of your Comfort Zone.

A dream is a goal without legs. It is a wonderful thing to have, can be the guiding passion of your life, but unless you clarify it and give it the legs to move toward you, getting there is going to be very much a matter of luck.

To transform a dream into a reachable goal you must clarify it, provide the details, make it so clear that you can see it, feel it, know what you will feel like when you get there. This works for you in many ways.

Diana Robinson, "Turning Dreams into Goals".