Setting and meeting goals create a positive energy and motivate you to keep going even when obstacles arise. Goals not only help you to continue to be motivated and that creates momentum.

Part of the reason why goal setting fails is that people don’t understand the different types of goals and how to treat them.

Goals can be divided in two categories.

First category would be based on the priority or importance of goals in life. Before I tell you the type of goals that fall in this category I would like to know what exactly success means to you? Success means different things to different people. But true success is a balance of a number of things. A successful person will be happy, healthy, and reasonably prosperous, secured, have peace of mind enjoy good relationships and will have hope for a better future. Therefore, you need to have goals that will cover every ingredient of success. Based on these, the types of goals are given below:

Career Goals

What is your ambition? Where do you want to be in your career five years from now and next ten years, In what position you see yourself and what you will do to reach there, what kind of value addition you will do to your skills, that will fall under career goals.

Financial Goals

When are you planning your retirement? What kind of car you want to drive? What kind of house you want to live in? Where you want to go for vacation? What kind of education do you want to afford for your children? Answer to all these will depend on you financial planning, and achievement of your financial Goal Setting.

Physical Goals

Health is wealth. These are the goals that are related to your physical well being and health. Better physical and mental fitness will give you an edge over achieving your goals. If you need to loose weight, or improve your physical condition and health in some way, you will need to set these goals.

Self Development & Spiritual Goals

In today’s fast moving world you have to increase you learning curve to make sure you are not falling behind to others. Knowledge is the key to success. So, keep learning, keep growing internally. Set goals for improving your attitude, self image, faith etc. People those who are spiritually higher enjoy better self image, better relationships, and more financial success as they have stronger faith. Spiritual upliftment is an important purpose of all human life and one should set goals in this area of self development.

Relationships & Family Goals

Relationships and your family are one of the biggest assets that you may have. How will you improve your old friendships, and make new ones? What will you do for your spouse, children, parents, greater family, so as to take these relationships to a greater depth? It is worth it to set goals in this area to have a fulfilled life.

Pleasure Goals

After all the hard work you do in your day it is your right to enjoy and have pleasure. Set goals for your enjoyment and how you are going to spend time for yourself. Goals can also be set for entertainment, learning new art or for taking up new hobbies.

Social Goals

More often your success will be measured by what you do for the society rather than your personal achievements. As a human being it is your responsibility to give back to society more than what you receive from it. Any goals that you set for this purpose are Social Goals.

If you look at the above goals carefully you will see that all these goals are actually interdependent. For example how well you will do financially depends on your progression in your career. Similarly your career, relationships will depend on the level of your personal and spiritual development as well as your physical well being. The type of pleasure that you will be able to afford and even some of the relationships that you will enjoy will be dependent on your career and financial situations. Of course you will not want to expand your family if you can not afford it financially.

So, while setting a goal, you should take into consideration different aspects of your life. Then only you will be able to enjoy a balanced success. If you set goals that are only materialistic in nature, such as only career goals and financial goals, while neglecting other goals in life, chances are that you will do well in these two areas, but will be stressed out, burned out, and unhappy at that the end of it.

Second category would be based on the timeline of goals. Based on the timeline goals can be divided into following:

Short-term goal: up to one year

Mid-term goal: one to three years

Long-term goal: up to five years

Long-range goals are concerned with the kind of life you want to live with regard to your career, marriage and life style. It is wise to keep these goals broad and flexible.

Medium-range goals cover the next five years or so and include the type of education you are seeking or the next step in your career or family life. You have more control over these goals. So you can tell how well you are progressing toward them and modify them accordingly.

Short-range goals apply from the next month or so up to one year from now. You can set these goals quite realistically and should try hard to achieve them.

Breaking down the goals in different time line will keep you in track of your achievements.

Advantages of goal setting

• Goal setting helps you plan everyday tasks
• It gives direction and purpose
• It makes decision making easy
• It helps to decide on priorities
• It encourages hard work
• It motivates you
• It inspires followers
• It builds confidence
• It reduces stress
• It gives you positive attitude
• It makes evaluation possible
• It gives real meaning to your activities

So categorize your goals and divide them in different timeline and celebrate your achievements.

What is a Goal?

According to dictionary goal means the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behaviour intended to achieve it. Well the truth is that a goal is the first step in making your dreams a reality.

Do you dream of success? Of course you do, who doesn’t? Everyone dreams of success but not everybody find it. Why so? Why doesn’t everyone make their dreams come to reality? What makes successful people success? Goals are the answers to all these questions.

Have you seen a football match? There are twenty two people running after a ball. But each of them has a sense of direction, a sense of purpose. What will happen if we remove the goal posts? Yes, it could be anything but football. Every sport in this world has a goal, a target, a finish line, a boundary.

When are we called successful in our life? Surely, when we achieve! What will you achieve if you have not set targets, when you have no aim or in other words you have no Goals in life?

Why goal setting is important?

Goals keep you in the track of your success. The difference between a dream and a goal is that a dream is simply a fantasy, something you daydream about, but never actively pursue. A goal, on the other hand, is a concrete thing in which you set into motion the steps in which to obtain it. Without a goal, we are just dreamers. A goal takes you towards the fulfilment of your dream. Life has lot of pressures and circumstances that may take us away from our dream. These Goals serves as the check points and keep us moving in the right direction.

Goals have always been a part of our life. Knowingly or unknowingly goals have always been with us. The difference is that either you will be setting your own goals or someone else will do it for you. It will be your parents to begin with, then your teachers, then professors in college and university then your boss, customers, family. If you are child it is all right for your parents and teachers to set goals for you, as by this they teach to not only goal-setting, but also values of discipline, responsibility and accountability. But as you grow older, the onus of setting goals fall more and more on you. If you do not set your own goals that are focused at fulfilling your dreams, you will be pushed around by people and circumstances to such an extent that you will completely loose the command on your own life. It is painful to see so many people in rut simply because they never set any goals for themselves. Goals keep you in command.

A goal gives sense of accomplishment and keep you motivated

Through goals you keep a track of you achievements, since they are achievable and measurable will give you a sense of accomplishment that will keep you motivated, to achieve yet another goal and getting you one step closer to you dream. The motivation that you get by reaching one goal can be enough to take you through the next goal, so on and so fourth. That is the power of goal setting.

What is an Entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is someone who creates his or her own business. An entrepreneur is an individual who accepts financial risks and undertakes new financial ventures. He is the visionary and risk taker. Characteristics of an entrepreneur include spontaneous creativity, the ability and willingness to make decisions in the absence of solid data, and a generally risk-taking personality. An entrepreneur may be driven by a need to create something new or build something tangible.

Entrepreneur Characteristics

• You should be great self confident.
• You should be a hard worker and having strong multi-tasking abilities.
• You should have clarity of thoughts on your ideas and plans. If you are not clear on your ideas then you can not sell those.
• You must be decisive. The decision you take will decide your success in future.
• You should be good listener.
• Last but not the least you should have a lot of patience. Because no one has become from rag to rich overnight. It takes time to establish.

Starting a New Business

Starting a new business is a risky endeavor that requires hard work and perseverance. Entrepreneurs are typically independent-minded people who believe strongly in their abilities and are willing to take risks. You are more likely to succeed at becoming an entrepreneur if you are passionate about your business concept and have the discipline, organizational skills, and financial knowledge to compete in the business world.

Becoming an Entrepreneur

To become an entrepreneur, you will need to come up with an idea for a business opportunity. You might be able to turn a hobby, craft, or interest you have into a business by selling products that you make or by providing some type of service. Examples include music, jewellery making, day care, web site development or being a disc jockey. You might recognize that your neighbourhood or community lacks a certain kind of business for which there is probably a demand — an organic grocery store, for example, or a landscaping service. You might believe that you can do or provide something better than what is being sold by existing businesses in your area or on the Internet.

In order to be successful, a new business must generally have some kind of competitive advantage over other similar businesses already operating. The advantage might be lower prices, unique merchandise or outstanding customer service. You will increase your chances for success as an entrepreneur if you create a business that offers something new, different, or better than what is already available in the marketplace.

It is important to examine the financial feasibility of any potential business opportunity. A business is not profitable unless there is demand for what it provides. Before you become an entrepreneur you may want to conduct market research to determine if there is customer demand for the business you are considering starting. A market analysis of your potential business would investigate what types of customers are likely to be interested in your products or services.

To become an entrepreneur, one of the most important steps is to write a business plan. A detailed business plan lays out your specific goals for your business and explains in practical terms how you will achieve them and why you think they are achievable. Your plan would explain the results of your market research and examine the potential financial performance of your proposed business. This would include a detailed accounting of your expected expenses, such as materials, supplies, taxes, insurance, and other costs. Your business plan would also explain your plans for pricing your products or services and show what kinds of profits you expect to make.

You might be able to use a well-written business plan to attract financial partners or investors or to get a business loan from a financial institution. This is especially important if you lack the capital, or cash, that you need to get the business started. In addition, it can take a while for new businesses to become profitable because expenses often exceed profits during the early stages of a new business. It will be helpful if you have an initial cash fund sufficient to pay your start-up expenses and cover your initial operating costs.

Once you’ve taken these steps, you’ll need to launch and run your new business. It would be a wise idea for you to gain or expand upon your business knowledge before you launch. Before you become an entrepreneur, you may want to take college classes or otherwise educate yourself in basic business skills, such as accounting and financial management. Your business plan will also be helpful as you begin operating your new business by providing you with a blueprint to follow to achieve your entrepreneurial goals.

Good Luck… Be your own boss, be an Entrepreneur.

How Can I Beat Tiredness?

Experts say that 10% of us at any one time are suffering from persistent tiredness. Persistent tiredness is more common among women than men. General Practitioners say they regularly see patients who come in complaining of severe tiredness.

As a consequence of our busy and stressful modern lifestyles, most of us will at some time experience tiredness. On most occasions, fatigue can be relieved after a good night’s sleep. However, this is not the case for everybody. Some people find that tiredness becomes a chronic problem which undermines their day-to-day functioning – i.e. it significantly affects their quality of life.

It’s extremely normal to feel tired after a hectic day or after a physical activity or even a mental exertion. As such, rest, relaxation, and a good night’s sleep is usually all that are needed to restore energy levels and bounce back to life.

On the other hand, persistent fatigue or fatigue that seems out of proportion to the energy you have expended may indicate the presence of an underlying health problem or the need for lifestyle changes.

Tiredness is insidious. Usually it creeps up on us slowly, making its presence more and more felt, until our lives become increasingly affected by it. Often is accompanied by depression and so not only can we do less, we actually don’t feel up to doing more. It becomes a vicious circle, and one that’s essential to break as quickly as possible.

How Do People Define Tiredness?

Patients who experience tiredness say:

• They lack energy
• They feel discomfort
• They feel unwell
• They feel sleepy
• They have lost motivation
• Their concentration is poor
• They find it hard to make decisions
• They find daily tasks difficult to carry out
• They feel depressed

What Causes Tiredness?

Some of the common causes of fatigue

• Stress
• Unhealthy diets
• Fast foods
• Obesity
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Certain illnesses
• Hormonal changes
• Caffeine abuse
• Infections
• Lack of exercise
• Certain medications
• Financial worries
• Divorce
• Relocating
• Small children
• Overworking
• Smoking

Tiredness Can Have Physical Causes

Chronic tiredness can become a vicious circle. If a person feels tired he may avoid most forms of physical activity. He could then become physically unfit and will be even more tired when trying to do something physical.

If your bodyweight is too high or too low for your height you may feel tired because of this. An overweight person’s body has to work harder to do everyday things, compared to a person whose bodyweight is normal. A person who is underweight might have less muscle strength and will tire more easily. The thyroid controls the body’s metabolic rate. If the gland produces too little hormone, you will put on weight, become both physically and mentally sluggish, feel cold, and become tired all the time. The main causes of hypothyroidism are deficiency of nutrients, toxicity (especially fluoride), alcohol, and infection of the intestinal tract by parasites or yeast.

Adrenal exhaustion occurs when a person is chronically stressed as frequently happens in modern day living. The adrenal glands produce hormones to help you in times of extreme physical danger. Adrenaline helps you to fight or run away. But the adrenals are not set up to keep manufacturing adrenaline all the time, and they become overtaxed, causing extreme fatigue.  The effects are not just limited to tiredness, however. The immune system works less and less well, making opportunistic infections more likely.

Tiredness May Have Emotional or Mental Causes

Some stress can be invigorating – in fact, many of us need some kind of mental pressure to get going. However, when stress levels are too high they commonly trigger fatigue – stress and worry are two emotions that most frequently cause tiredness. If your stress reaches such a point that you are unable to see the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, the sensation can be draining. Some people say that when they have no control over a situation it makes them feel frustrated, irritable and tired. Depression can lead to tiredness for many reasons. It could be the depression itself, or the patient may not sleep properly and feel tired as a result. You may need to take medication for a short time, or else pay close attention to nutrition. Any lifestyle changes and taking up relaxation that can help you reduce stress will pay huge dividends.

Your Lifestyle Could Be Making You Tired

There are some jobs which are more likely to cause tiredness. Nurses, firefighters, doctors, the police, and shift-workers in general may have irregular sleep patterns which will often cause tiredness.

If there is a baby in the house you may find that getting a good night’s sleep is a distant memory. Small children may often cause their parent(s) to sleep less.

If you consume too many caffeinated or alcoholic drinks your ability to fall or stay asleep may be affected, especially if you consume them close to your bedtime.

The following lifestyle changes will assist you, whatever the cause of your tiredness:

• Reduce stress by making changes to your work/life balance and simplifying or downsizing if necessary.
• Practice relaxation and/or meditation techniques as often as you can.
• Create a good sleeping environment by making your bedroom dark, quiet and cool.
• Make a ‘quiet hour’ before bed with a warm bath, some uplifting reading or music and avoid television during this time,
• Make exercise a habit, preferably daily. Walk for 20 minutes, or swim, or do a gentle yoga practice or stretching.
• Avoid junk and fast foods as these put your body under stress. Make good nutrition a priority.
• When you are suffering from tiredness, try to put yourself at the center of your own life and make choices that will help you to recover.

Good Luck and Take Care and Beat Tiredness…

Hi there, how are you? You coming over for this post suggest you are not doing very well. You may be very successful or you may be not. You may be rich or may be broke. What ever situation you have got yourself into you are not happy with that. Well it’s ok. Shit happens.

We humane beings are among the most confused creatures among all the animal kingdom. You are not sole responsible for all this confusion. There are lot of reasons. Your parents who want you be like them or like someone else they never became. Your friends who always cheered for being or doing something that they never wanted to do for themselves. Your neighbor, your school teacher and there is long list of such persons. Well it was ok to be in confusion till you are a kid and you having no idea what is right for you. But when you grow up whatever decisions of your parents, teachers, friends or anyone else you agreed to it was your choice. You chose to accept those decisions. So after all those decisions if you are still not happy then take some time for yourself to find out what exactly you want. Forget everything for a moment just be yourself and discover the real you. Believe me once you discover yourself, every path you choose will be towards happiness that you have always dreamed about.

Here are 20 ideas to get you started. Choose the ones that work for you.

1. Practice mindfulness. Be in the moment. Instead of worrying about your checkup tomorrow while you have dinner with your family, focus on the here and now — the food, the company, the conversation.

2. Laugh out loud. Just anticipating a happy, funny event can raise levels of endorphins and other pleasure-inducing hormones and lower production of stress hormones.

3. Go to sleep. We have become a nation of sleep-deprived citizens. Taking a daily nap or getting into bed at 8 p.m. one night with a good book — and turning the light out an hour later — can do more for your mood and outlook on life than any number of bubble baths or massages.

4. Hum along. Music soothes more than the savage beast. Studies find music activates parts of the brain that produce happiness — the same parts activated by food or sex. It’s also relaxing. In one study older adults who listened to their choice of music during outpatient eye surgery had significantly lower heart rates, blood pressure, and cardiac workload (that is, their heart didn’t have to work as hard) as those who had silent surgery.

5. Declutter. It’s nearly impossible to meditate, breathe deeply, or simply relax when every surface is covered with papers and bills and magazines, your cabinets bulge, and you haven’t balanced your checkbook in six months. Plus, the repetitive nature of certain cleaning tasks — such as sweeping, wiping, and scrubbing — can be meditative in and of itself if you focus on what you’re doing.

6. Just say no. Eliminate activities that aren’t necessary and that you don’t enjoy. If there are enough people already to handle the church bazaar and you’re feeling stressed by the thought of running the committee for yet another year, step down and let someone else handle things.

7. Make a list. There’s nothing like writing down your tasks to help you organize your thoughts and calm your anxiety. Checking off each item provides a great sense of fulfillment.

8. Do one thing at a time. Studies have found that people who multitask are more likely to have high blood pressure. Take that finding to heart. Instead of talking on the phone while you fold laundry or clean the kitchen, sit down in a comfortable chair and turn your entire attention over to the conversation. Instead of checking e-mail as you work on other projects, turn off your e-mail function until you finish the report you’re writing. This is similar to the concept of mindfulness.

9. Garden. Not only will the fresh air and exercise provide their own stress reduction and feeling of well-being, but the sense of accomplishment that comes from clearing a weedy patch, watching seeds turn into flowers, or pruning out dead wood will last for hours, if not days.Walk on the grass on bare foot, its a great stress reliever.

10. Tune out the news. For one week go without reading the newspaper, watching the news, or scanning the headlines online. Instead, take a vacation from the misery we’re exposed to every day via the media and use that time for a walk, a meditation session, or to write in your journal.

11. Take a dog for a walk. There are numerous studies that attest to the stress-relieving benefits of pets. In one analysis researchers evaluated the heart health of number of couples, half of whom owned a pet. Those couples with pets had significantly lower heart rates and blood pressure levels when exposed to stress than the couples who did not have pets. In fact, the pets worked even better at buffering stress than the spouses did.

12. Scent the air. Research finds that the benefits of aromatherapy in relieving stress are real. In one study people exposed to rosemary had lower anxiety levels, increased alertness, and performed math computations faster. Adults exposed to lavender showed an increase in the type of brain waves that suggest increased relaxation. Today you have a variety of room-scenting methods, from plug-in air fresheners to essential oil diffusers, potpourri, and scented candles.

13. Ignore the stock market. Simply getting your quarterly statement can be enough to send your blood pressure skyrocketing. In fact, researchers found a direct link between the daily performance of the stock market and the mental health of those who closely followed it. Astute investors know that time heals most financial wounds, so give your investments time — and give yourself a break.

14. Visit a quiet place. Libraries, museums, gardens, and places of worship provide islands of peace and calm in today’s frantic world. Find a quiet place near your house and make it your secret getaway.

15. Volunteer. Helping others enables you to put your own problems into perspective and also provides social interaction. While happy people are more likely to help others, helping others increases your happiness. One study found that volunteer work enhanced all six aspects of well-being: happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control over life, physical health, and depression.

16. Spend time alone. Although relationships are one of the best antidotes to stress, sometimes you need time alone to recharge and reflect. Take yourself out to lunch or to a movie, or simply spend an afternoon reading, browsing in a bookstore, or antiquing.

17. Walk mindfully. You probably already know that exercise is better than tranquilizers for relieving anxiety and stress. But what you do with your mind while you’re walking can make your walk even more beneficial. In a study researchers divided 135 people into five groups of walkers for 16 weeks. Group one walked briskly, group two at a slow pace, and group three at a slow pace while practicing “mindfulness,” a mental technique to bring about the relaxation response, a physiological response in which the heart rate slows and blood pressure drops. This group was asked to pay attention to their footsteps, counting one, two, one, two, and to visualize the numbers in their mind. Group four practiced a form of tai chi, and group five served as the control, changing nothing about their lives. The group practicing mindfulness showed significant declines in anxiety and had fewer negative and more positive feelings about themselves. Overall they experienced the same stress-reducing effects of the brisk walkers. Better yet, the effects were evident immediately.

18. Give priority to close relationships. One study of more than 1,300 men and women of various ages found that those who had a lot of supportive friends were much more likely to have healthier blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar metabolism, and stress hormone levels than those with two or fewer close friends. Women, and to a lesser extent men, also seemed to benefit from good relationships with their parents and spouses. Studies also find that people who feel lonely, depressed, and isolated are three to five times more likely to get sick and die prematurely than those who have feelings of love, connection, and community.

19. Take care of the soul. In study after study, actively religious people are happier and cope better with crises. For many people faith provides a support community, a sense of life’s meaning, feelings of ultimate acceptance, a reason to focus beyond yourself, and a timeless perspective on life’s woes. Even if you’re not religious, a strong spirituality may offer similar benefits.

20. Count your blessings. People who pause each day to reflect on some positive aspect of their lives (their health, friends, family, freedom, education, etc.) experience a heightened sense of well-being.

Warning: If you are constantly unhappy or depressed, seek professional help.