Successful people are goal oriented. They create goals all the time.Daily goals are represented in their daily "to do" lists. Long-termgoals are broad initiatives to be accomplished at specified points intheir lives. Successful people focus on work at work and leave theirfamily and personal matters outside the office, in an effort to achievetheir business goals.

Successful people are long-term thinkers. They are constantly looking to the future in an effort to determinewhere they are in terms of accomplishing their goals. They do not dwellon the past. No daydreaming about past successes or failures. Theycontinuously make course corrections to get them back on track inachieving their goals.

Unsuccessful people are not goal oriented. They are like leaves on a fall day. They float around in the air aimlessly, without direction. They allow the distractions of daily life to affect their ability to perform their duties at work. They allow themselves to become easily distracted by things that have nothing to do with their work. Since they are not focused on goals, they have nothing grounding them to the tasks they need to perform to become successful.

Daily Goals

Before you begin each and everyday, compile a "to do" list. List only those things you believe you have a realistic probability (80% chance) of completing that day. Prioritize this list and set a specific time in which you will tackle each item. The lower priority items are those that have a low probability (bottom 20%) of being accomplished that day and can be accomplished the subsequent day. You do this in order to build flexibility into your "to do" list to avoid frustration in failing to accomplish the important tasks set for that day. During the day mark off each completed task and congratulate yourself in its accomplishment. At the end of the day evaluate your "to do" list. This forces accountability.

Monthly Goals
At the beginning of each month list monthly goals. These are goals with a realistic probability of being reached by the end of the month. Break down each goal into tasks or steps. The monthly goals could be the number of insurance policies to write that month, or the number of new clients you hope to gain, or a revenue target for the month. These goals might include a project to be completed or an article to be written.

Example - Monthly Goal Number One: I will write five life insurance policies this month. In order to achieve this goal I will need to meet with ten prospects each week for the next four weeks. In order for these meetings to occur, I will make fifty phone calls each week, which breaks down into ten calls each day.

Goals for the Current Year and the Following Year
Goalsfor the current year and for the following year represent initiativesthat you have some degree of control over achieving. Break down eachgoal into tasks that need to be accomplished.
Example - Current Year Goal Number One: I will pass the CPA exam this year. In order to reach this goal I will study. I establish a study plan in which I will study one hour each day during the week and six hours over each weekend. I will review the study material and complete the practice exams.

Long-term Goals
Long-term goals represent broad, far-reaching initiatives. Think of your long-term goals as your "wish list." Create a plan for accomplishing each goal and include the tasks needed to be accomplished.
Example- Long-Term Goal Number One: I will buy a house in five years. In order to reach this goal I will save one thousand dollars per month for the next five years. In order to save one thousand dollars per month I will reduce my expenses and deposit two hundred and fifty dollars each pay period into a separate savings account.

A useful technique to assist in keeping long-term goals in sight is the use of a vision board. A vision board is an actual picture of long-term goals. This maybe a picture of the house you desire to buy, a picture of the business you hope to own one day, or a picture of the type of place you hope to retire to one day. Before he rose to great fame, comedian Jim Carey wrote out a check to himself for twenty million dollars and kept that check in a place where he would see it every day. That check represented a vision board of a long-term goal he desired to achieve one day -- to be paid twenty million dollars for a movie. When the opportunity arose for a leading role in a movie, guess what Jim Carey's demand for compensation was? Twenty million dollars. And he got it!

Summary: Successful people set goals and create a plan to reach those goals.

Tomis a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Financial Planner, CLTC(Certified Long-Term Care) and President of Cerefice & Company,CPAs/CFPs. Tom works with clients helpingthem manage their money, plan for retirement, save for college, protect their assets/income through life/disabilityinsurance, establish IRAs and qualified plan rollovers with an eye towardsmaximizing tax benefits and minimizing taxes. Tom is founder of theRich Habits Institute and author of "Rich Habits" and "The Rich Habits Guide To The Best Most Affordable Places To Retire In The U.S.".