The second step of goal setting Setting your goal is very important. Just don't forget that creating and even planning ways to achieve it is equally important. You should also have a method of checking your progress. Say, for example, you have decided to prioritize your personal growth and you have set a goal for this. Motivation is what keeps athletes going and keep on striving, while goals, set through goal setting activities, put up targets and direction to help monitor and gauge the efforts and initiatives. Characteristics of good goals Goal setting, thus, has to be effective and well-planned. There are several attributes of good and effective goals, which should be paid particular and utmost attention to during the tedious and ardent goal setting tasks. And if on the personal level, you consider it important to converse with yourself, how much more for the employees and the company that they are working with? This means that constant communication is important. It is also important to note that this responsibility is not done after the first meeting. Everything else being equal, an effective goal setting strategy will spell the difference. But how to do it? 1. Be clear. If you want a clear and tangible result, then set a clear and tangible goal. When people around you are sometimes confused of what you're up to, what makes you think that what you really want is clear to you, even without a clear goal. Be it a personal goal, career or professional goal, and even business planning, bringing this down into a paper will the practitioner to see the planned goal factually. But some important aspect of this "writing" process is omitted. In writing, just like in thinking, there are many steps. And if it is the first step of thinking, usually the "warm-up" period that is committed into writing, then the problem is in the making. Do you have a clear projection as to how much you should be earning in a particular moment in your life? This aspect is closely related with career, so better review and come out with a goal with these two side by side. 4. Potential development. Perhaps some of your talents and skills need an improvement, or are maybe already clamoring for an improvement.