Listen any day, any time, any place, and you'll hear people talking about the importance of goal setting. Thousands of articles are written about goal setting each year, and several hundred popular goal setting programs are used in businesses across North America. Thousands of individuals – business planners, consultants, and accountants – even make a good part of their living by helping other people set personal and professional goals.

People relentlessly pursue the art of goal setting in the 1990's, and for good reason. Business researchers found out a long time ago that success rarely happens by itself; rather, it comes about as the result of a conscious attempt to turn lofty dreams into reality. In other words, it happens when people set and pursue goals.

Despite the array of complex goal setting techniques and programs abounding today, the essence of goal setting is strikingly simple. So, for a few moments, put aside the volumes of goal setting advice available from today's business literature and planning consultants, and focus on the heart of goal setting – the basic ten-step process that will help you turn your hopes and plans, however ambitious they might be, into reality:

•  Step One: Decide what's important. Goals don't arise in a vacuum. They arise out of broad, underlying aims in people's lives. And so it should be with you: What matters most to you in your personal and business life? If you could name a single overpowering purpose or mission in your life, what would it be? You don't have to be concrete in your answers. You only have to
identify a powerful and burning desire that you will eventually use to form goals.

•  Step Two: Look ahead. How do you want your life to change over the next five years? The next ten? What would your "ideal" typical day or typical week be like five or ten years
from now? What pleasures and accomplishments will characterize your life in five or ten years? Greater financial security, maybe? Deeper professional skills? More sales? Professional
recognition? As you start to set goals, you'll keep these long-term aims in mind. [ Editor's Note : You may wish to insert a few examples of long-term aims especially appropriate to individuals working in your company or industry.]

•  Step Three: Define your future achievements. Broadly speaking, a goal is a compelling milestone or accomplishment that you hope – and expect – to become real in the future. It's now
time to set a few goals (most people end up forming four to six) in light of the aims and hopes you've already identified. By their very nature, goals are a bit lofty, even philosophical. "Raise sufficient capital to expand into five new product lines" is an example of a goal. "Assume at least one top leadership position in a civic or charitable organization" is another. Now, use your imagination to develop your own goals.

•  Step Pour: Set objectives. Now, the hard part begins. Objectives are concrete, time-dated accomplishments that comprise your goals. Objectives will help you measure progress toward
your goals. More important, they'll serve as a guide to your own efforts each and every day. Some examples of objectives: "Increase market share by 2% each year." "Secure 10 new customers this June, and another 5 new customers by December." "Install a new computer system within the next 18 months." The list could go on and on. Set one, two, or more objectives for each goal you've identified. The result should be a list of concrete accomplishments that, when fully achieved, will represent completion of your goals.

•  Step Five: Strategize. How will you achieve your objectives? How, for instance, will you increase your market share by 2% each year? How will you secure 10 new customers this June, and an additional 5 by December? By answering these questions, you'll develop action plans. These plans are your step-by-step guides toward the achievement of objectives.

•  Step Six: Set deadlines. If your objectives are not already time-dated, now is the time to insert deadlines. If, for instance, your objective calls for you to install a new computer system, you may want to set deadlines for product research, development of specifications, vendor consultation, solicitation of price quotes, and the actual purchase. Your deadlines – whether they involve objectives and action plans spanning several years or several days – will add a sense of urgency and immediacy to your efforts.

•  Step Seven: Build your evaluation plan. Once you've reached this point, you should have some precise, measurable objectives, as well as concrete strategies and deadlines. But you've got to insure that you have a way to monitor your progress. This might involve a review of financial records at the end of each month ... or completion of a sales analysis on a certain day each quarter ... or ongoing consultation with subordinates. As long as you can monitor your achievements, you'll be able to assess their quality.

•  Step Eight: Don't let your goals stand still. As you change and grow over the years, so should your goals. Repeat the steps involved in goal setting every year or so, and you'll keep your goals timely and relevant. And every time you achieve a significant goal, consider adopting a new one.

•  Step Nine: Keep your goals and objectives in front of you. Write them out. Keep a copy of your goals in the front of your appointment calendar. Or on your desk blotter. Or turn them into a miniature poster. Keep your eyes squarely focused on these goals and they'll soon become second nature to you.

•  Step Ten: Go easy on yourself. Just because you set goals and objectives doesn't mean you'll always achieve what you set out to do. Missed deadlines, problems, failures and yes, even laziness, can plague you as you travel the road to success.

Set out on your goal setting trek with a willingness to adjust deadlines and strategies as circumstances dictate. A healthy sense of flexibility is the perfect antidote for unanticipated problems.

When you decide to set goals, observe these ten important steps. They won't guarantee instant success, but if you follow them with dedication and enthusiasm, they'll likely spur you on toward tremendous accomplishments in the years ahead.