(By Helen L. Marshall)

          Twenty years later, you will be/do/have what you plan today. Your exact definition of "success" may differ from mine or anyone else's, but most people would agree that it's about getting what you want out of life.Your first step has to be working out where you want to go. You need an objective...a destination...a goal.
"A goal is a picture you hold in your mind of an end result"
If you can't see the dartboard, you can't hit the bull’s eye.
The end result you hold in your mind represents the achievement of something you want to BE, DO or HAVE.
Only you know this. Answer them honestly and you're halfway there.
And then you gotta get SMART-


... means that you describe your goal in as much detail as possible.
For example, instead of dreaming about a "new car", you decide on a BMW 320i, black, 2 years old, with chrome trim.
The more precise you can be, the better the system works.

... means that you'll know when you've achieved your goal.
That's why "happy" or "successful" are not goals as such. How will you know when you're successful? When you pass a certain exam? When you secure a certain job? A certain salary? Then write it down.

... means that the goal can be divided into a series of smaller steps or "actions" that you can take towards completion. So climbing a mountain is an action-oriented goal. Whereas "being comfortable" isn't a goal, it's simply a state of mind.

... means that the goal is important to ‘you’. It's something that you genuinely want, that fits in with your values and beliefs, and that you are prepared to work towards.

... simply means you have to put a deadline on achieving your goal.
Why? Well suppose you have forever to do something... how long is it going to take? That's right, forever.

The act of putting something into writing is a very powerful process. It shows commitment on your part, but more than that, your deeper mind- THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND, immediately starts going to work on how to achieve the goal.
Will you take 5 or 10 minutes now to do the goal-setting exercise -- or will you "do it later"?
It's up to you. It's your life.
“You have a GOLD MINE, when you have a GOAL in MIND”