Goal setting is one of the most important aspect of achieving success. If you want success in whatever you do, you must have a clear and specific goal. If you want to achieve something in your life, first you need to clearly define and fix what you want to achieve. For example, You got a call letter (today i.e. 1st May 2009) from the Prime Minister of India to meet him at his office for an appointment on 1st June 2009 at 9.00 a.m. Now you are at Kerala in a village at Kottayam District. You have to take a Train from Kottayam Railway Station to Delhi (which is 50 hours journey) or take a flight from Cochin (which is the nearest Airport) to reach Delhi which is 4 hours flight. With this example we can point out that you must have the following steps to attain the desired Goal i.e. to meet the PM.

1. Clear and define Goal.
Now you have a very clear Aim or Goal which is to reach Delhi at 9.00 a.m. on 1st June 2009 at the Prime Minister's office. There is no confusion. It is clear. And the Goal is to reach the PM's office. You have the address. After traveling 50 hours in the train, you will reach Delhi. Just reaching Delhi will not serve the purpose. You have to reach PM's office. You have the address. You may be new in Delhi. You may not know the places in Delhi. Also you can make excuse that I don't know the way or something like that which will not help you to meet the PM. Like wise you need to have a clearly defined goal to achiever your aim.

2. Time
Now you have a clear picture of the time to be in the PM's office for the meeting. You have the time and date. Like this you must have a clear picture of the time at which you want to achieve your goal. If there is no time or time limit, you won't be able to achieve the desired result with in a specified period. If you think you have a lot of time and you want act as per your convenience, you may not end up at the PM's office on the appointed date and time. This is the another point to be noted. When you want to attain a goal, it needs to be clear and specific with a fixed date or time to attain it. If you don't have a clear time limit, you may end up in procrastination. You may very often tempt to postpone your venture for tomorrow which will never come.

3. Knowledge
You may not know the route to the PM's office. While sitting in your village and trying to figure out the way to the office, you may not be able to find the route. No one in your village may not know the route. First you need to be in Delhi and then ask some one in Delhi to the PM's office, they can easily guide you. You need to know the time required to reach Delhi and from Delhi Railway station to PM's office. The people in your village may not be in a position to help you with the desired knowledge. It is better to ask some one in the railway department, they can help you out. Or at the Airlines people, they can help you with the time. You have to go to different people for different type of knowledge. To attain your goal, you must have a fair knowledge about your venture.

4. Take the first Step
You cannot climb a mountain at once. Small steps will lead you to the top of the mountain. You have to first step down from your house. Take a bus to the nearest railway station. The take the train. Then you will reach Delhi. At Delhi it is very easy to the PM's office. With out the fist few steps it is impossible to attain the goal.

5. Contact the right people for the right knowledge
As stated above, you have to go to the right people for the right information. You have to consult a fisherman to know about fishing, have to consult a property dealer to know about property, just like to know about the trains and timing and duration, you need to contact the railway people. Consulting the right people will give momentum to your venture.

6. Count the cost
Traveling by air is very expensive, but by surface/by train is relatively cheep. You have to find out whether you can afford the flight charges or the train charges. If you can afford the flight charges, it is well and good. It will save time. If you are not prepared to pay the flight charges another option is to travel by train. It will save money but cost you time. Another step to attain the goal is to count the cost. will you able to do all the exercise to reach the goal. Think about it before you start. See what Jesus talk about counting the cost "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace." Like wise before you start your venture, please sit back and count the cost.

7. Plan your goal
After deciding which mode of transport to use, you have to plan your travel accordingly. If you are traveling by Train you have to leave you home 3 days before. and chose the train which will reach Delhi on time. If you are traveling by flight you have to step out from your home around 10 hours before. You have to calculate the traveling time from your residence to Airport, Flight timings and flight duration and the time required from airport to PM's office etc. Everything needs to be taken in to consideration and plan your travel accordingly. Like wise, to attain your goal, you need to plan your venture. Then follow that plan which will help you to attain the goal.

8. Brake the goal in to small goals
Your aim is to meet the PM. That is your goal. To attain that goal, you need to take different small steps like purchase your ticket well in advance, make finance available, think about the dress you have to wear at the meeting. arrange dress. etc. Fulfilling these small steps i.e. these small goals will help you to reach your final destination. To attain a big goal, you need to take different small steps. You cannot do everything at once. You need time for each and every task. You take one step at a time. Many small steps will take you to far ahead. The sum total of all these steps will give you the desired result.

9. Dream
After receiving letter from the PM, you would be probably dreaming about what you are wearing at the meeting, what you are discussing with PM, how your are greeting PM, how you are behaving etc. You will be having a dream to be with PM and having a photo session with the PM etc. Very soon it will be going to happen. Like wise, you must dream about your goal and think and feel about it. How it will be after achieving the goal etc.

10. Fear of missing the appointment
You won't be able to think about missing the much desired appointment with PM. Fear of missing the appointment will help you to take the small steps which will eventually lead to attaining the goal. Fear of not have a good job may help you to study well and help you to get your degree. Fear of not having a nice house will help you to reduce your expenses and save money for that dream home.

11. Desire
Desire to meet the PM is very important to attain the goal. If you do not have a desire to meet the PM, you won't be taking any steps to achieving your goal. So desire is another important aspect which help you to attain the goal.

12. Preventive measures to be taken to avoid any set backs/failure
Stepping out on time from your place for Delhi, taking the right train/flight, seeking right information, etc. will help you to prevent any failure in reach the PM's office on time. If you miss the train/flight, you will lose the appointment. To prevent that kind of unpleasant occasion, you need to take preventive steps. You need to be very careful about your belongings/valuables etc. Otherwise you may lose it while traveling. Give a thought about the preventive measures to be taken to avoid the failure is another step to be remembered.

13. Motivation
Motivation is the internal condition that activates behavior and gives it direction; and energizes and directs goal-oriented behavior. You must be self motivated or your goal must be motivating you. So go for something which you love to do.

These are some of the important steps/points to be remembered while setting goal.