Close your eyes and visualize yourself six months from now. Where are you? Did you complete this semester successfully? Now visualize yourself three years from now. What has changed in your life? Finally, visualize yourself 20 years from now. What have you accomplished? What are you most proud of?

   Many people never think hard about what they want out of life. They just move along day to day, hoping things turn out okay. Everyone agrees that is important to have hope, but as CNN host Anderson Cooper puts it, "Hope is not a plan." Do you know, however, that you can develop a powerful plan simply by creating goals and putting them in writing?

   One of the things that distinguishes successful people is that they have taken the time to think about and write down their goals. Having written goals can also make you more successful not only in school, but in every area of your life. Setting goals means deciding exactly what you want to achieve in terms of your education, health, personal relationships, career, finances, and other areas of your life (such as travel, volunteer work, or spiritual development) Having goals can help you achieve a more fulfilling, productive, and happy life.

   In college, motivation is a do-it-yourself job. That's one reason it's so important to set goals: They're motivating. They remind you that you are working toward things that matter to you, so you feel pride and satisfaction when you achieve a goal. Success builds on success. The growing sense of confidence and pride keep you motivated.

   So how do you go about setting goals? One way is to list some of the categories mentioned above, and then write out your goals for each. You should also set a deadline for achieving each goal. In fact, you should think of goals as "dreams with deadlines." Classify each goal according to the length of time in which you plan to accomplish it:

• short-term goals: ones you want to accomplish during the nextsix to twelve months.
• intermediate goals: ones you want to accomplish during the next two to five years.
• long-term goals: ones you want to accomplish during your lifetime.

Your short-term goals should move you toward your intermediate goals, and those in turn should move you toward your long-term goals.

   To be effective, goals must have two characteristics. First, they must be realistic. They should be ones you can achieve in the time you set, even if you have to work hard to achieve them. "I will earn a college degree in two years while working full-time" isn't a realistic goal. A more realistic one would be, "During the next three years, I will complete my associate's degree in business and obtain my real estate license." Second, goals must be specific. "I want to do better in school" is too vague. A specific goal is, "I will make at least a B in all of my courses this semester."

   Print a copy of the chart that follows or create your own chart on other paper or your own computer. Write at least three of your short-term, intermediate term, and long-term goals. Then fill in the columns that tell why the goal in important to you and how you will feel when you achieve the goal. The information in the last two columns is important. What motivates people to accomplish a goal is the personal relevance of the goal and the feelings that achieving it will produce in them. (Goals are personal. You do not have to share them with anyone.)

If you feel unsure about how to achieve what you most want in life, print a copy of "My Vision of Success" (below) or write the same information on another sheet of paper. It's an excellent tool for identifying the resources and strategies that can help you attain your vision of success.

   Put your written goals where you will see them often—above your desk or on the bathroom mirror, for example. Every few months, revise them if you need to. The important thing is to have realistic, specific goals you are working toward.

   It's not enough to set goals. You must also make a commitment to achieving them. Will you encounter obstacles? Of course you will, but it is overcoming those obstacles that gives the goals their value.

   If a certificate or degree is one of your goals, then you should make school a priority. There will be times when you have to give up something fun or satisfying at the moment for the greater satisfaction of achieving a bigger, more meaningful longer-term goal.

MY VISION OF SUCCESS

1. In the middle of the page (or on a separate, larger sheet of paper), put a photo, picture, or drawing of what you most want to do or be in your life. Write a success statement that tells what you plan to achieve.
2. List the skills and traits needed to achieve your goal. Rank them and circle the most important skill.
3. Jot down the steps you must take to achieve your goal.
4. Write the names of people who can mentor you (advise and encourage you).
5. List obstacles that you will have to overcome and ways to overcome them.
6. List the resources that are available to help you achieve your dream.
7. List accomplishments and awards you have already achieved.

Post this sheet where you will see it. Read your success statement aloud in front of a mirror ten times, morning and evening, for ten days. Remember that your brain will accept it as "true"!

My success statement: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Source: Adapted from Colin Rose and Malcolm Nicholl, Accelerated Learning for the 21st Century,1997, p. 79, Dell Publishing.