Planning for the Long Term Ahead

A goal or objective is a desired result a person or a system envisions plans and commits to achieve—a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development. Many people endeavor to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines. Goals may be either short or long term. Long term goals can take about three to five years to achieve, while short term goals are reachable in one to three years and hence people find it damn difficult to set those long term goals. With regard to your goals, you need not feel constrained you just need to emphasize and illustrate that your goals are logical/achievable and ambitious.

Tips for setting goals specially the long term ones:

Write down your goals.

Have an action plan

Schedule it

Pick a strategy and stick with it.

Focus on the future.

Adopt a long-term perspective.

Make sure your goals are realistic

Assign Responsibility

Prioritize your goals

Set both long term and short term goals.

Reward yourself

Stop procrastinating

Traditional goal-setting wisdom has taught us that a good goal must be

Written,

Challenging,

Believable,

Specific,

Measureable, and

Have a specific deadline.

Unfortunately, it's not too difficult to think of an example that directly challenges any of the above goal-setting criteria. For instance, the goal "to live a more spiritual life" may be a valuable, meaningful goal for many, but it's hardly measurable and assigning a deadline makes little sense for a permanent alteration of lifestyle. Your long term goal may be to spend more time with your family. Make your goal specific and give it a date to be accomplished. Keeping perspective is one of the hardest things to do. We just need to remember that productivity and achievement are a means to an end, not the end themselves.

More on goals setting:

Goals are likely to be achieved when they are specific. Don't state them in vague terms.

Secondly you should be known of how much you have achieved, and the parameters determining the achievement should also be made clear to self, so that there isn’t a vague idea regards your achievement. So make sure you set yourself a way of measuring the goal to confirm that you've achieved it.

It is sometimes doubtful regards achievement or non achievement of your goals specially the long term goals. When this is the situation instead of going ahead with your thought plans and practices you need to take a nap and re-schedule the plan of yours and you need to decide the amount of dedication and hard work you need to put in more.

I have seen people who regret saying I wanted to be someone else and got stuck up in something else. They regret regards this whole life as they didn’t become something they wanted to be, the one simple reason behind this could be setting of targets that are actually achievable or unrealistic targets. Planning things for yourself whom you believe you cannot achieve it by yourself and then to establishing for the sake that you may or might achieve it one is a wrong step of planning your long term goals. Goals or targets set should be achievable ones as well as realistic so that every attempt of yours put in to achieve your long term wish should actually help you sort and be proud of your achievements.

Make sure you define the date by when you want to achieve your long term goal. Put it in your diary or somewhere where you can see it and have check in dates such as 'half finished by this date.' In this way you can keep yourself on track to get moving towards your long term goal.

Long term goals are about synchronicity, about lining up your heart and the “coincidences” that life presents to you. You need to be “in tune” to recognize the opportunities that present themselves, things you might otherwise miss.

 

[Dhruv Bindhani]

A goal or objective is a desired result a person or a system envisions plans and commits to achieve—a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development. Many people endeavor to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines. Goals may be either short or long term. Long term goals can take about three to five years to achieve, while short term goals are reachable in one to three years and hence people find it damn difficult to set those long term goals. With regard to your goals, you need not feel constrained you just need to emphasize and illustrate that your goals are logical/achievable and ambitious.

Tips for setting goals specially the long term ones:

Write down your goals.

Have an action plan

Schedule it

Pick a strategy and stick with it.

Focus on the future.

Adopt a long-term perspective.

Make sure your goals are realistic

Assign Responsibility

Prioritize your goals

Set both long term and short term goals.

Reward yourself

Stop procrastinating

Traditional goal-setting wisdom has taught us that a good goal must be

Written,

Challenging,

Believable,

Specific,

Measureable, and

Have a specific deadline.

Unfortunately, it's not too difficult to think of an example that directly challenges any of the above goal-setting criteria. For instance, the goal "to live a more spiritual life" may be a valuable, meaningful goal for many, but it's hardly measurable and assigning a deadline makes little sense for a permanent alteration of lifestyle. Your long term goal may be to spend more time with your family. Make your goal specific and give it a date to be accomplished. Keeping perspective is one of the hardest things to do. We just need to remember that productivity and achievement are a means to an end, not the end themselves.

More on goals setting:

Goals are likely to be achieved when they are specific. Don't state them in vague terms.

Secondly you should be known of how much you have achieved, and the parameters determining the achievement should also be made clear to self, so that there isn’t a vague idea regards your achievement. So make sure you set yourself a way of measuring the goal to confirm that you've achieved it.

It is sometimes doubtful regards achievement or non achievement of your goals specially the long term goals. When this is the situation instead of going ahead with your thought plans and practices you need to take a nap and re-schedule the plan of yours and you need to decide the amount of dedication and hard work you need to put in more.

I have seen people who regret saying I wanted to be someone else and got stuck up in something else. They regret regards this whole life as they didn’t become something they wanted to be, the one simple reason behind this could be setting of targets that are actually achievable or unrealistic targets. Planning things for yourself whom you believe you cannot achieve it by yourself and then to establishing for the sake that you may or might achieve it one is a wrong step of planning your long term goals. Goals or targets set should be achievable ones as well as realistic so that every attempt of yours put in to achieve your long term wish should actually help you sort and be proud of your achievements.

Make sure you define the date by when you want to achieve your long term goal. Put it in your diary or somewhere where you can see it and have check in dates such as 'half finished by this date.' In this way you can keep yourself on track to get moving towards your long term goal.

Long term goals are about synchronicity, about lining up your heart and the “coincidences” that life presents to you. You need to be “in tune” to recognize the opportunities that present themselves, things you might otherwise miss.

This article from May 2, 2011, offers advice on setting and achieving goals, particularly long-term ones. It highlights the importance of making goals logical, achievable, and ambitious, and provides practical tips while also acknowledging some limitations of traditional goal-setting wisdom.

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The Art of Setting and Achieving Goals, Especially Long-Term Ones​

The article defines a goal as a desired result that a person or system plans and commits to achieve. It distinguishes between short-term goals (1-3 years) and long-term goals (3-5 years), noting that people often find long-term goals more challenging to set. The key is to ensure goals are logical, achievable, and ambitious.

Tips for Setting Goals (Especially Long-Term):

1. Write Down Your Goals: This makes them more concrete and increases the likelihood of achievement.
2. Have an Action Plan: Break down the goal into actionable steps.
3. Schedule It: Integrate goal-related tasks into your calendar or daily routine.
4. Pick a Strategy and Stick With It: Consistency is crucial.
5. Focus on the Future: Maintain a forward-looking perspective.
6. Adopt a Long-Term Perspective: Understand that significant achievements take time.
7. Make Sure Your Goals Are Realistic: Avoid setting yourself up for failure with unachievable targets.
8. Assign Responsibility: Clearly define who is accountable for each part of the plan (if applicable in a team context).
9. Prioritize Your Goals: Not all goals can be pursued with equal intensity at once.
10. Set Both Long-Term and Short-Term Goals: Short-term goals act as milestones that contribute to the larger long-term vision.
11. Reward Yourself: Acknowledge progress to maintain motivation.
12. Stop Procrastinating: Address tendencies to delay necessary actions.

Traditional Goal-Setting Criteria (and their nuances):

The article refers to traditional wisdom that good goals should be:

• Written
• Challenging
• Believable
• Specific
• Measurable
• Have a specific deadline

However, the article also cleverly points out that these criteria aren't universally applicable without nuance. For example, a goal like "to live a more spiritual life" is valuable but difficult to measure or assign a fixed deadline to, as it represents a permanent lifestyle alteration. Similarly, a long-term goal like "spending more time with family" needs to be made specific (e.g., "spend one hour more per day with family by [date]") to be effectively pursued. The crucial insight is to remember that productivity and achievement are "a means to an end, not the end themselves."

Further Insights on Goal Setting:

• Specificity is Key: Goals should be specific, not vague. This clarity helps in understanding what needs to be achieved.
• Measurability: Define clear parameters for measuring achievement to avoid a "vague idea" of progress.
• Dealing with Doubt: If uncertainty arises regarding goal achievement, especially for long-term goals, it's recommended to pause, "take a nap," reschedule the plan, and reassess the required dedication and hard work.
• Realistic vs. Unrealistic Targets: The article warns against setting unrealistic targets that lead to regret. Goals should be achievable and realistic, ensuring that efforts contribute to genuine accomplishments.
• Deadlines and Tracking: Define specific completion dates for long-term goals. Placing these dates in a diary with "check-in dates" (e.g., "half finished by this date") helps in staying on track.
• Synchronicity and Opportunity: For long-term goals, the article introduces the concept of "synchronicity" – being "in tune" to recognize opportunities and "coincidences" that life presents, which might otherwise be missed.

In summary, this article provides a balanced perspective on goal setting, advocating for a structured approach with written, specific, and measurable goals, while also acknowledging the importance of flexibility, realistic expectations, and an awareness of personal values and emerging opportunities.

 

[Simran Rai]

“Long-term goals are not just dreams with deadlines—they are promises to your future self, built through clarity, consistency, and courage.”

This article beautifully captures both the complexity and importance of long-term goal setting. It reminds us that while goals give direction and purpose, the path toward them demands intention, adaptability, and self-awareness. Long-term goals are often dismissed or feared because they feel overwhelming or uncertain. Yet, as the article wisely notes, they are not unreachable if approached with clarity and persistence.

The emphasis on making goals specific, measurable, and time-bound is timeless, but the article also points out that not all valuable goals fit into rigid templates—some, like becoming more spiritual or spending time with family, are better guided by intention than metrics. What matters most is keeping your goals realistic, aligned with your values, and revisited regularly to track progress or pivot when needed.