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You hear it time and again, set goals, make sure and plan. But do you really take the time to do it? Be honest. If you are like so many others, then you think about it, even planthings out in your head, or maybe make some notes on a notepad, but do you seriously plan and strategize?

Goals keep us motivated. But sometimes, people find it too hard to achieve their goals. Maybe because they have set long-term goals before setting short-term ones, or they did not plan their goals carefully.

Goal-setting strategies are important especially for those who want to achieve long-term goals.

Here are five goal-setting techniques to help you realize them:

1. Start with short-term goals that will lead you to long-term ones. Sometimes, people start with short-term goals unconsciously. Why unconsciously? Some of them may have considered the goals to be long-term at the time they planned them; and after achieving a goal, they realize that they are in fact, looking forward to a longer one. Some are content with their short-term goals, but after a while will realize that they also need to attain long-term ones. Short-term goals seem to be our set off for longer ones. They will motivate the person to plan for longer goals, which will usually take sometime before achieving them in full.

If you have a big project, breaking it into smaller steps willhelp you stay focused and on track. You will feel better as you reacheach goal, keeping you fired up and ready for the next one.

2. Make sure you really want the goal. You have to ask yourself: "Do I really want this goal? Will this goal give me a better life?" Answering these questions will give you more passion to achieve your goal. Some people recall their past to find out why and how they came up with this goal.Look at the big picture, regardless if the goal is short-term orlong-term. How will this step help me achieve the endresult, myoverall desire?

3. Speak up. Don't keep your goals to yourself or a secret. Sharing your goals could help you get the support you may need from others. Some people are too shy to tell others about their goals for reasons like they are afraid they cannot achieve these in the end, or they lack the courage to speak their minds. This is not a good habit because when the time comes that you really need their support, you may have trouble getting it. Besides, sharing the fruits of your goals is uplifting to the mind and spirit not just for you, but your friends and family that are helping you staystrong also benefit from seeing you succeed.

4. Write down your goals. While some say this strategy is more advisable for those who have a long list of goals, I tend to disagree. Write them down, even if it only is one simple step. Your mind is an incredible tool and it has been proven that as soon as you write a goal down, your mind (subconcious or also known as creative mind) will begin to work on solutions to help you reach that goal. After writing them, it is advisable to review them because this will encourage you to achieve them.

5. Stay on track and don't give up. Reviewing notes as well as your written goals will help open your mind to see if you are on the right track. There may be challenges you will have to face and how you react to them will ultimately determine your level of success. Reach out to your support network for a helping hand if you feel you are strugglingand keep them up to date on your progress. They can help you stayaccountable to your set task. Going back to your notes will also potentially help you uncover somemissed items that could potentially cause great damage to your overallproject, so always review and refine your goal and the tasks needed to achieve it.

6. Celebrate. Party. Have fun. This extra, step is here to remind you that you definitely need totake the time to reward yourself along the way. Don't wait until youhave completed all of your tasks and achieved your overall goal. Do something small to reward yourself along the way too, maybesleep in an extra hour, grab a coffee from Starbucks instead ofthe fast food joint around the corner. Any kind of pat on the backthat you can give yourself is well deserved. You work hard, don'tforget to play too.