The Top 10 Qualities of Your Next Winning Goal

No matter what you're going for in your life, having a goal is an essential part of the process. When you have a goal, you're more focused, you're more motivated and you're clearer about where you're going.

Making decisions is easier when you have a goal, because if you're really honest with yourself you know if one particular choice is leading you towards your l or away from it.

When you don't have a goal, life can be aimless, stagnant, depressing or self-destructive. Chasing the wrong goal, though, might be even worse than not having one at all.

Here are the Top 10 Qualities of Your Next Winning Goal

1. Fun. When the game is fun, the goals get done. Whatever your goal, make sure it's something you can enjoy working towards. Find a path to the finish line that makes use of your strengths and gives you opportunities for connection, fulfillment and joy.


2. Realistic. Your goal needs to be realistic and not too lofty -- a marathon runner aims to run one mile, 26 times. Use your track record of meeting or not meeting previous goals as your guide. Not meeting your goals has as much to teach you as meeting them -- instead of giving up, break the goal down further.


3. Personal. Goals need to be something you want to achieve, based on your own passion and vision. If a goal is something you or someone thinks you "should" do, it's not your goal.


4. Concrete. You goal needs to be tangible and definable. "I'm going to spend more time with my children," is an admirable thought. "I'm going to spend 30-minutes reading a bedtime story to my children every night," is a goal.


5. Revered. Achieving a goal is cause for celebration. Too often people swing from berating themselves for not working hard enough or letting themselves off the hook, to shrugging off their accomplishments because they're too busy chasing the next goal.


6. Extraordinary. Eleanor Roosevelt implored, "Do one thing every day that scares you." Your goal should be outside of your comfort zone, outside of your job description, outside of your daily routines and rituals that you're going to do anyway. We set a goal when we want to do MORE or do better.


7. Flexible. You may need to shift and adapt your goals if you find you're consistently off track. How can you think outside of the box and still get where you want to go?


8. Applied. You can only turn your passions and dreams into reality by setting and reaching your goals. Decide what you want, what you're going to do to get it, write it down and start doing it. Don't take it lightly, live your life "on purpose."


9. Top-of-mind. Goals need your attention, or they can be easily obliterated by daily life; other things will inevitably become more important and take over. Make your goals fit in with what you also want to do for your family, career and community, so that you're not choosing between them.


10. Shared. Goals need to be spoken out loud, committed and shared. When someone else knows what you're trying to accomplish, you give them the opportunity to support you. And for them, you're a living role model of inspiration, passion and purpose.