Areas of goals:

These can be divided into short, medium and long-term; these respectively being six months, one wo years and five plus years. Also divide them into balanced components, being: personal, family, social and work goals. Then break them down further into:

* Spiritual * Mental * Physical * Financial * Family * Community/School

Remember that over-concentration on one of your goals will not ensure success. A car can only run well if all tyres are inflated to correct pressure... and if it has four wheels!

The art of goalsetting is to balance all of these areas. If one area is out of proportion in your wheel of life, it affects everything else. Your wheel of life should be rounded evenly and balanced, so that it gives a smooth ride. Unlike mine. Currently my social life is pathetic, so I am joining "rent-a-friend", as I'm way too obsessed with my work, my writing and spend far too much time focussed on it... instead of having more FUN !

A thought... Perhaps it's about time I slowed down in my article submissions and set a goal of using that time for pure relaxation! How's that for a goal?

TIPS ON HOW TO ACHIEVE GOALS 1. Give yourself permission to dream and desire. Put aside (as much as you can) all reason and logic. If you don't have a goal, you have nothing to aim for and no plan of action. Without a goal you are just kicking a ball around. Think creatively by using your imagination in setting targets. 2. Make a master dream list. It is important to write down everything you want and need. Every place you want to go and everything you would like to become or achieve. These need not be high ideals, but genuine wants, e.g. putting food on table (most important for "starving" writers!), a new car, beach house.swimming pool, yacht. A "proper job" for writers like me, perhaps! 3. Aim high Stretch yourself to your limit and you will achieve more than you believed possible. The higher level of conscious goals, greater their motivating power.

4. Prioritise your Goals. Start off with some easy goals to get you in 'habit of achieving'. Know where you are now and how you got there. (" How s...did I get where I am now?). Look at yourself and learn from others. These goals must be compatible with your inner values. Values are what we hold to be important at deepest level of our being. Doing this will make them far more likely to be achieved.

5. Set a time limit for achieving them. It's important to set a deadline...but it doesn't have to be "set in concrete". Don't let something drag on for three years that could have been achieved in one year. Set short-term goals: tomorrow, next week, next month. Also set long range goals which will require vision, courage and foresight. Finally, set your ultimate goals like becoming an All Black or Springbok (these are rugby football players from New Zealand and South Africa for "ignorant Americans"- oops, sorry!), a Judge, or some grand purpose, etc.... as long as that is what you really desire. List steps needed or smaller goals required to be achieved onthe path to your ultimate goal. By breaking them down they will seem more attainable and once each minor goal is attained will bring you closer to theultimate goal. List skills, qualifications or traits you will need to achieve them. 6. Be inspired. Receive regular inspiration and enthusiasm through reading and other motivational material (like this book- PLUG, PLUG). Also helpful is frequent contact with a person or people who inspire and enthuse you. 7. Focus on your goal like a laser and go after it every day Don't be discouraged - sometimes "one step backwards comes before a leapforward". "Dare to be different to others", if that is just being "the real" YOU. Don't allow future to act on you. Act on future. Don't see yourself as a powerless victim of circumstances, but rather as one having many choices to take any path you CHOOSE to move your life forward. N.B.Goals should be written down and regularly reviewed.

This makes for focussing ones thoughts and COMMITMENT in seeing them through. Write each goal on a list and as you achieve it, tick it off and enter a new goal. Act immediately on your short-term goals, as only ACTION will get you there.Have balance in your dreams and be honest and realistic with yourself. A goal is either meaningful in itself or as a means to an end. More Goal Tips * Start first with your longer term goals and break them down; if you start with short term goals you will end up with more of same. * Focus first on overall outcome, not how you will achieve goal or you will limit yourself. Then amazing power of your creative imagination (in form of your subconscious mind) will come up with plan on HOW to achieve your goals. The answer may come to you immediately or take a while... and then come to you in unexpected moments, like in shower. ..* Don't be obsessive about goals- let them happen, don't force them. (I must learn that one and let "life take it's course"!). * Be flexible and be aware of unexpected, which may be a stepping stone to your goal in disguise. * Involve your spouse/partner hose "nearest and dearest to you" in goal setting. Shared family goals have more meaning and commitment to achieving them is greater.

THE SECRET IS TO VISUALISE YOUR GOALS AS ALREADY BEING ACHIEVED

"We should all be concerned about visualising future, because we will have to spend rest of our lives there."- anon Visualisation is technique used by top sportspeople to achieve results. Successful people make things happen and use process of Goal Setting. Ask yourself whether you are a goal- setter or goal-getter? You are not as stuck down in a rut as you may think. You have far more choices than you could ever imagine.

Many come to end in life with those visions unrealized, pictures in their minds only.

Achieving goals helps us to get "want to's in our lives. Life ought to be more than just achieving "have to's".

I offer three important tips to help increase probability of achieving your dreams, getting more of what you want in your life.

1. Put your goals into writing. There is something powerful about writing out what you want, getting your dream out of your head and on to a piece of paper. It then seems more realizable. It's a stonger affirmation of what you are working towards rather than having a vague, wispy notion floating around in your head.

An even stronger tool is to prepare a goal scrapbook. Nothing fancy. Get a three-ring binder and fill it with notebook paper. Then get a picture of each your goals and paste them into your new goal scrapbook. You ca go to car dealer and get a brochure of new car you want. Visit a travel agent and pick up brochures of your ideal vacation's destination and add that. Clip a picture of your dream house out of newspaper's real estate section and add this as well.

Then, each night, review your goal scrapbook and see a picture of what will surely be coming to you. It's like viewing a crystal ball and seeing your future.

2. Quantify your goals. Many do not get what they truly want in their lives because they are too vague about what they want. It is not enough to say, "I want more money" or "I want to be rich". Instead, if you write, "I want $10,000", you now have a clear target to shoot for.

3. Set a deadline. Did you ever set a New Year's resolution and never achieve it? Most people have. And most people fail to achieve their dreams because they did not include a deadline with their goal. Deadlines move us to action.

When we fail to include a deadline for our goal, when we commit to achieving it "as soon as possible", goal winds up in our "as soon as possible" pile of things I will do another day, which is probably never. Why? Because we all too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. The items that have deadlines for completion tend to bubble up in priority and importance so that we take action and achieve them.