Successful people always have clear goals. Great musicians, great athletes, successful salespeople and inspiring leaders know what they want in life, and they go after it. Great parents work at it. No one becomes an astronaut by accident!

And yet great bulk of people continue to drift through life with no goals at all, or with only vague dreams, hopes and wishes. No wonder we achieve so much less than we could!

For those who don't know how to set and achieve goals, here is a powerful set of principles that have worked for thousands of my clients. They will work for you, too. I call them The 4 Steps to Successful Goal- Setting:

1. Decide what you want. Decide if you would rather have money in bank, or that new car. Choose life you prefer! You can't have everything in life; but you can have anything you choose, if you will focus, pay price, and pursue it with all your heart.

1.Find VISION. Unless you know where you're going, you are unlikely to get there. Any place where you are is a good place to start.

Ask yourself:

What activities have you most enjoyed in last 10 years?

What is fun? What do you treasure?

What do you most want to be doing in next 10 years?

I'd love to write, help and hopefully even inspire others.

Which of your strengths and weaknesses are a joy to you?

What do people say you are good at?

What is special about you?

List ideally what would you be doing? Living at beach, writing and travelling...and be financially secure, of course!

Ideally what would you want to be? A successful author was my goal.

Ask WHY do you need those things? What are those status symbols for?

Define your vision. Write it down in less than 10 words. Does it involve other people?

What do I most want to be doing? Why?

What do I most care about? Why?

What steps can I take to move me closer to doing what I really want to do with my life?

Find your niche - your unique skills?

Think about WHO will pay you to enjoy yourself. Instead of worrying about being sacked, think who will pay you to have fun?

Where do you want to work? With whom, in what sort of company? Look for a picture of your ideal environment: home, as well as work.

3. PLAN ahead carefully. Doing this reduces false starts and wrong directions. Most people spend more time planning their annual holiday than they do their "blueprint for life".

Put it all down in writing. My advice: "Think big, but start small".

The prominent American psychologist, Carl Rogers said: "The only real security is preparedness to embrace insecurity". Be YOU you most intend to be? Take stock, review your plan and prioritize your life goals.

4. Make COMMITMENT. Stop saying you're going to do it and actually DO IT. Put in work and write out cheques. This involves going past point of no return. Make commitments: to yourself, to your loved ones in terms of time, energy and money. Then stick to it and take full responsibility for outcome.