Making Lifetime Goals

Growing up, my best friend and I made lists of lifetime goals we wanted to achieve. I still think making those lifetime lists is important, because as Mindtools.com states: "Setting Lifetime goals gives you the overall perspective that shapes all other aspects of your decision making."

To set life-long goals, Mindtools suggests setting goals in some or all of the following categories:

• Artistic
• Attitude
• Career
• Education
• Family
• Financial
• Physical
• Pleasure
• Public Service

Feel free to add other categories that may be important to you, like religion. Then, when you have decided on goals for each important category, it's time to priorize them:

Assign a priority to them from A to F. Then review the goals and re-prioritize until you are satisfied that they reflect the shape of the life that you want to lead...

Once you have set your lifetime goals, set a 25 year plan of smaller goals that you should complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan. Then set a 5 year plan, 1 year plan, 6 month plan, and 1 month plan of progressively smaller goals that you should reach to achieve your lifetime goals. Each of these should be based on the previous plan.

Finally set a daily to-do list of things that you should do today to work towards your lifetime goals... review your plans, and make sure that they fit the way in which you want to live your life.

Once you have decided your first set of plans, keep the process going by reviewing and updating your to-do list on a daily basis. Periodically review the longer term plans, and modify them to reflect your changing priorities and experience.