Goal setting is the key to success in any endeavor. Anyone who is successful in any area sets goals. This statement is probably truer than any time in the history of our society. People are demanding more of themselves and reaching for greater personal and professional achievements.

The number of people seeking some form of advanced education has sky rocketed over the last thirty years. The same is true of people starting and succeeding with new businesses. The information age has brought with it an explosion of opportunities for both personal and professional development.

This has all been made possible through the power of goal setting. However, this is also the age of change. Things change faster now that ever before. New technologies and ideas seem to emerge almost overnight. We have come to expect change. What does this rapid change mean for our goals? Does our goal setting allow for effective change? Good questions.

We have always been told that our goal setting must include goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and believable to us. Our goals must be quantifiable and not vague ideas. They also must be tied to a completion date. Last, to be truly effective, our goals must be written down. Writing down our goals gives them a psychological concrete certainty.

However, when approached in this manner, does our goal setting set us up for failure? In other words, if we dont achieve our goals by the date we set, does it mean we are failures? We must conclude that this statement is not true when we examine our goal setting process.

Change happens and it happens all the time. Our goals must be flexible enough to allow for this change when it occurs. Goal setting has undergone a reexamination in the last few years. Goals use to be viewed as written in stone. This model is no longer effective. A better approach is to view goals as points along a line and not endpoints in and of themselves.

For example, the goal of having a successful business is made up of a number of smaller goals along a continuum. Straight lines don't exist except in mathematics. Its a given that the path to the achievement of our goals will encounter detours and switchbacks. Our goal setting must stay flexible enough to accommodate these changes while keeping our eye on the horizon.

In your goal setting, make your goal planning a living document that is open to change and modification. Goals that take longer than a few months to achieve are certainly going to experience change. Re-evaluate your goals at least once a month. Decide if you're still on the right path, or are modifications in order?

Last, and perhaps the most important, is to not allow the flexibility to accommodate that your goals need cause you to give up. Keep your eye on the point on the horizon that you've decided is your goal. Effective, flexible goal setting will help you succeed in this changing world.