Why does personal goal setting sometimes fail to work?

When people want things, situations or accomplishments, they often call these goals. Then they are disappointed when they don't get them. You can call desires goals if you want, but just naming your desires sure isn't effective goal setting. Good personal goal setting results in goals that have some or all of the following:

1. The goals are specific. "I want to be healthy" is too general. "I want to lose weight and walk three times a week," is much better.

2. The goals are measurable. Exactly how many pounds do you want to lose, or how much money do you want to make? How will you know (by what measure) if your relationship is better?

3. They're written. There is power in writing down goals. Writing makes them more real, and this influences your subconscious mind, especially if you review the goals regularly.

4. They're realistic. Even if it is possible that you could become an astronaut, if you're already 55, you better try for becoming a pilot for now. Goals that are unrealistic set you up for failure.

5. Good goal setting uses deadlines. You'll have that new job by when? Setting dates and keeping track of them really helps your progress.

6. Good goals become plans. Making a goal into specific steps makes it much more likely, and it is less overwhelming to take one step at a time.

7. They're motivated. Having the right reasons is a good start, but you should also learn how to re-motivate yourself, and reward yourself when you make progress.

8. They take into account personal factors. Can you really get what you want if you feel like you don't deserve it? Well, maybe, but good goal setting takes into account personal changes that are necessary or useful.

9. They're followed by action. One of the secrets to motivation and to getting where you want to be is to start with any movement towards the goal. Action begets action. Start slow if you must, but start.

10. They're not written in stone. Your goals will naturally evolve. Why would you become a doctor once you learned that you liked doing lab work better?

This last one is a tough one. Making an excuse or making a change of course are not the same thing, but to know the difference means you need a certain level of self-awareness. Develop that, then apply the keys to personal goal setting above, and you'll get to where you want to be.

Do you make resolutions at the beginning of every year? Resolutions can be powerful tools. In fact, they can help you take your business to the next level. The catch is, once you make a resolution, you have to work to make it come true.

If you want action, you need an action plan. Goal setting is the best way I know to transform lofty resolutions into bottom-line results. Research shows that when entrepreneurs set measurable goals for themselves, they're more like to achieve them.

When you engage in true goal setting, you define your objectives in pragmatic, measurable terms. You also need to identify the resources, time and funds you'll need to invest to attain them. That's how you develop action plans. Once you know where you want to go, the next step is to figure out how you'll get there and how much you're willing to spend on the trip.

Use the SMART SystemWhen it comes to goal setting, the SMART system is simple, down-to-earth and gets the job done. Each goal must be defined so that it meets the following criteria:

S SpecificM MeasurableA AchievableR RealisticT Timely

Specific, achievable and realistic--Make sure your goals are concrete, concise and attainable. Instead of, "I want to make a lot more money this year," specify "I want to increase my revenues by X percent (a realistic amount) by the end of the year."

Measurable--Frame your goals in such a way so you can measure your progress. For example, plan on measuring monthly or quarterly revenues against last year's figures--something you should be doing anyway.

Timely--Give yourself a reasonable time frame for achieving your goal. Then break it down into smaller, short-term increments. Realistically, you may not achieve that X percent increase early in the year, but you can work toward it. Divide your goal percent increase into monthly or quarterly increments that allows you to build on your momentum. This produces measurable, attainable and short-term goals to pursue.

Record your goals and action plans on paper. Whether you write them down or type them, the very act of recording them will help you flesh out your ideas. Once your plans are complete, you'll have a detailed roadmap with directions to follow.

Review your goals and plans regularly. Make a monthly appointment with yourself if that's what it takes. This will help keep you on track as time unfolds.

Also, beware of "BHAGs"--big, hairy, audacious goals. Super-ambitious goals are great when it comes to long-range planning and decision making, but they don't lend themselves to goal setting. Focus on attainable goals that you can realistically reach within the year.

It's easy to make resolutions, but it's hard to make them come true. No wonder some entrepreneurs make the same resolutions every year, without ever achieving them. Don't let yourself fall into that group. This year, resolve to set SMART goals and action plans.

Ray Silverstein is the "Sales" columnist at Entrepreneur.com and president and founder of PRO: Presidents Resource Organization , a network of advisory boards for small-business owners.