There is a lot more to goal setting than just picking a goal and moving forward. While that is important, you also need to make sure that you are setting the right goals at the right time in order to be successful. To check that you are setting the right goals for yourself, answer the following questions:

Are You Setting Specific and Realistic Goals?

It takes a little research to ensure that a goal is realistic. If you’re not sure if something is actually achievable then you probably haven’t done enough research. Once you’ve set a goal that actually is realistic, then you need to be specific enough in your description of it so that you are able to take the goal, and work backwards to create a plan of action to succeed in reaching your objective.

Are Your Goals Multifaceted?

Focusing on only one part of your life is a bad idea. People live multifaceted lives and need to make goals for all areas of their lives in order to feel successful. If you have a successful business or career but at the cost of your personal life, then no matter how successful you are, you will not feel successful. Something will always feel as if it’s missing if your goals aren’t covering all aspects of your life. Therefore, ensure that your goals include something from all aspects of your life.

Is Your Scheduling Representative of Real Need?

Once you have created your action plan, you need to truly consider how realistic it is. Say your goal is to be healthy and reduce your cholesterol by 10 percent in six months but you haven’t planned in the time needed to exercise and eat right. If you don’t schedule in this time you won’t succeed because something will always be in your way taking time away from you. It will be very frustrating to practice your schedule because it doesn’t represent reality.

For instance, if you are going to exercise 30 minutes per day, setting aside only 30 minutes isn’t going to be realistic. The chances are that you’ll probably need to set aside more like an hour as you will need to get ready and then cool down and get cleaned up before going on with your life.

Do You Learn from Failure?

Many times when setting goals and schedules, instead of learning from failure, people simply give up. Using the example above, once you implement your schedule to reach your goals, if you notice there are things that you’ve forgotten to take into account, don’t give up. Learn from your “failure” and adjust the schedule to be more realistic.

You might find that this means that you have to rewrite all your goals and your schedule, but there is nothing wrong with this! Many people believe failure is something negative, but the truth is, if you don’t fail sometimes you’re not going to learn much and it’s likely your goals are too easy. You must push beyond your comfort zone to grow.

Are Your Goals Yours or Someone Else’s?

Many people set goals that represent what someone else wants instead of what they want. This can cause a lot of bad feelings and resentment which can derail even the best laid plans. As you set your goals for your life, ask yourself if they’re really what you want or what someone else believes is best for you.

It’s okay to do things because of someone else, but you need to be honest about it and make some goals just for yourself that don’t involve anyone else’s needs or wants.

Are You Monitoring Your Progress?

Schedules are very important to ensure the best possible chance of reaching your goals. “To do” lists pale in comparison to a well laid out calendar of tasks and activities that will enable you to get from point “A” to point “B.” Look at your schedule every morning and evening and note when you succeed on sticking to your schedule and where you don’t. If you notice a pattern forming for when you don’t succeed, you can rectify it and keep on track.

Are Your Goals Positively Focused ?

When writing a goal it’s important to write them in the positive, or at least a way that feels positive to you. In the quest to improve your life,write down a goal and then change the words to see if you can make it more positive and see if it isn’t more motivating. For instance, “losing weight” seems like a good goal, but for some people it might signify deprivation due to dieting. In this instance, try making the goal “improve my BMI by 10 points” or “improve my cholesterol by 10 percent.”

Are You Setting Too Many Goals At Once?

Just as setting too few goals can be a problem, so can setting too many. We all have an active personal and career life and many points in between. If you have set goals in too many areas of life at once, you can easily become overwhelmed. Try picking one personal goal and one other type of goal to focus on until you reach them, and then you can add more goals in future. You don’t need to do everything today; remember that life is not a race

Setting the right goals for yourself takes some thought and consideration and whatever you do don’t try to set all your goals at once; try to set goals in different stages and in different areas of your life and give a lot of thought to why you want to achieve the goal in the first place.