8 Steps to Better Career Goals

That's an easy question to answer for those under the age of 12 or so: an astronaut, an Olympic champion, President of the United States, etc. Why is this easy to answer for young 'uns? Because kids can get away with flights of fancy. Having pipe dreams are not only okay, but they're expected of them.

Adults don't have that luxury. We have mortgages, car payments, student loans, alimony and child support payments. As a result, asking what we want to be is the wrong question.

The correct question is: Who do you want to be?

More specifically, who do you want to be by this time next year? No, you can't be Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt or even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (they already have people filling those roles), but you can become a dramatically improved version of yourself by using these eight goal-setting tips:

1) Tell me what you want, what you really, really want. The Spice Girls were on to something with this lyric. Often, people will write down what they think is expected of them. They aren't following their own passions - they're following somebody else's. That's a sure way to unhappiness.

2) Put it in writing. If you can't write it down, you'll never be able to accomplish it. Writing it down makes it mentally sticky; it's easier to assimilate.

3) Don't let facts get in your way. Want to own your own business but recently declared bankruptcy so nobody will loan you the start-up capital? There's always another way to get from "Point A" to "Point B." Don't be afraid to set goals others might call unrealistic. Aim high, stay true and make a plan. Even if you don't get to "Point B" by the end of the year, you'll be a long way from where you started.

4) Flesh it out. If you've set your goals appropriately (read as: "high"), then you won't be able to become the next version of yourself in a single step. Take some time to plan out what steps you'll take and what roadblocks you're likely to encounter. The time you take in this vital prep step will save the invested hours many times over.

5) Don't worry, be happy. Bobby McFerrin got it right. Negativity is an impediment. As such, when writing your goals, phrase them in the positive.

6) Diversify, baby! Mutual funds work well because they are, by their natures, diversified. That is, they're invested in multiple concerns simultaneously. So should most people be. If you're only looking at one particular aspect of your life to improve, the others might fall apart. You can avoid this by setting goals in major life-enrichment categories (e.g. money, health, love, etc.).

7) Install flexibility. Life offers only a few front doors, but infinite side entrances. Make sure your plans allow for you to take advantage of these alternatives.

8) Getting there's half the fun. Enjoy the journey between "Point A" and "Point B."

IN A NUTSHELL: You can become who you want to be by following these eight goal-setting tips.