Try this exercise—it might be uncomfortable, but it’s worth it. Take a blank sheet of paper and draw a horizontal line. At the far left, write the year you were born. Easy enough, right?
Now, on the far right, predict the year of your death. This one’s harder and a little unsettling, but it's necessary if you want to start planning your life.
Next, mark today’s date somewhere in the middle, as well as the year you plan to retire. You’ve now got some key points. Add other important milestones—when you want to take the family to Disney World, send your kids to college, or buy a new house.
Now, draw a squiggly line from your birth to today—that time is gone, and you can’t get it back. What matters is what you do with the time from today onward. What do you want to accomplish before retirement? Do you have a plan to make it happen?
Goal-setting takes time, reflection, and guts. You need to write down your goals and map out the steps—yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and even daily—to reach them. Tracking progress is key.
Your goals should go beyond work. To live a balanced life, you also need goals for family, health, spirituality, finances, and education. After all, a successful career means little if the rest of your life is falling apart.