Having a goal is a little like having a destination. It gives you something to aim for, it gives you something to target and it generally gives you a structure and a direction that might be lacking otherwise.
How can you get to where you want to be, if you don't know where that is? Thus, one of the most important aspects of creating a winning mindset is to identify the goals that you hope to achieve. But in order to do that, you also need to understand how to go about writing a useful goal.
Yes, a goal can be a bad thing. Many of our 'goals' are not really goals at all but rather dreams. These are 'pie in the sky' ideas that we like but which we make no real moves toward accomplishing. Rather than helping us to get to where we want to be, vague goals actually hinder our chances of success.
What you need more than a goal is a vision. A vision is something that inspires you, it is something that gives you the motivation and the drive. A vision is what makes you wake up in the morning. But it is also abstract. That's where the plan comes in.
The plan is what bridges the gap between where you are right now and where you want to be. And the very best plans are small, they are measurable and they are directly within your control. The best plans are usually made up of lots of much smaller goals, each of which will represent a stepping stone toward where you eventually want to be.
So, the first thing you need is the vision. This is what many of us once referred to as a goal. It is the 'dream' if you will. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine yourself in your perfect life. It's five, ten or twenty years from now and everything has gone just the way you always wanted it to. So where are you? What is the picture in your mind?
