I've often said, the major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get. That is why goals are so powerful. They are part of the fabric that make up our lives. And goal-setting is where we create our goals.

Goal-setting can be so powerful. It provides focus. It shapes our dreams. It gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to take in order to get everything in life that we desire.

Goals are exciting because they provide focus and aim for our lives. Goals are great because they cause us to stretch and grow in ways that we never have before. In order to reach our goals we must become better. We must change and grow.

There are three components to a powerful goal: It must be inspiring. It must be believable. It must be one that you can act on. When your goals inspire you, when you believe them, and when you act on them is when you will get them!

Goals also provide long-term vision in our lives. We all need lots of powerful, long-range goals to help us get past short-term obstacles. Life is designed in such a way that we look long-term and live short-term. We dream for the future and live in the present. Unfortunately, the present can produce many hard obstacles. Fortunately, the more powerful our goals (because they are inspiring and believable) the more we will be able to act on them in the short-term and guarantee that they will actually come to pass!

So, let's take a closer look at the topic of Goal-Setting and see how we can make it forceful as well as practical. What are the key aspects to learn and remember when studying and writing our goals?

I believe there are four main areas of emphasis:

1. Evaluation and Reflection. The only way we can reasonably decide what we want in the future and how we will get there, is to first know where we are right now and secondly, what our level of satisfaction is for where we are in life. As we focus this month on goal-setting, the first order of business and our topic this week is for each of us to be serious about taking some time for evaluation and reflection.

2. Dreams and Goals. What are your dreams and goals? Not related to the past or what you think you can get, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? This isn't something that someone else says you should have or what culture tells us successful people do or have. These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your own heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. Next week we will show you exactly how to find out what you want from life.

3. S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T. means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.

Specific: Don't be vague. Exactly what do you want?

Measurable: Quantify your goal. How will you know if you've achieved it or not?

Attainable: Be honest with yourself about what you can reasonably accomplish at this point in your life - along with taking into consideration your current responsibilities.

Realistic: It's got to be do-able, real and practical.

Time: Associate a timeframe with each goal. When should you complete the goal?

We will spend some time in two weeks looking at how to apply the S.M.A.R.T. test to your goals to make sure they are as powerful as they can be!

4. Accountability. Think of the word "accountable." It means to "give an account." When someone knows what your goals are, they help hold you accountable. Whether it is someone else going through this program with you (have you thought about inviting a friend to join you on this one-year journey?) or just someone you can give the basic idea to; having a person who can hold you accountable will give you another added boost to getting your goals! On Week Eight we will show you how to set up an accountability partner.