When it comes to setting goals there are some basic principles that you should keep in mind.
Perhaps one of the most important things is that you should set the performance of your goals
and not just the outcome of these goals. Try to set goals over which you will still have a great
deal of control so that you can guide your performance. If you set a personal goal for which
there are too many outside factors you made find that you are unable to achieve it. Those goals
that are based solely on their outcome need to depend too heavily on issues over which you
often have no control.
When you base your goals on some knowledge or skill that you need to learn you’ll be able to
keep a great deal of control over how and when you achieve them. You may also find that you
get much more satisfaction out of working towards these goals since you’ll be expanding your
life experiences.
Try not to make goals that are based on a reward system such as a financial reward or one that
relies on recognition from other people. You may be highly motivated at the beginning but once
you achieve these types of goals you might not feel as much personal satisfaction as you would
if you had focused on a more personal goal over which you have complete control without a reward at the finish.
