A football match between Liverpool & Manchester United would be breath-taking any day but would be the most futile one if there were no goalposts on either side. Teams would go on playing forever to no conclusion aimlessly. Hence, a life without goals is like a football game without goalposts, a race without an end, a journey without a destination, a word without definition& overall it’s a LIFE without any direction!

Life can’t be directed & progress cannot be measured without goals. A lot of people shoot this question at me (I am still alive :)) “Why are goals this important? Can’t one just go on working endlessly?” My answer is simple - besides being a measure for progress goals are a reason for motivation and drive to achieve our visions and dreams, they serve the purpose to realign us each time we are diverted like the horse’s blinders.

To the one who doesn’t know where he wants to reach, every inch covered is a destination achieved.

Setting goals and targets hence are the most important part of the game called LIFE. Imagine running without a boundary line, imagine an exam without TIME-UP deadline, imagine a text-book with unlimited pages, a subject with an unlimited syllabus, etc. All these are absurd just like the football game. Hence having a goal is vital, pivotal for career and a great life.

A lot of people ask me, how to develop self-confidence? While Confidence is a result of consistently achieving your targets, Self-confidence is nothing but the belief in yourself that you are capable of doing what you are taking up, which comes by results of past which motivates you for future endeavors. When in past you have taken up things and accomplished them it always makes you remind yourself of the adage – “Once a winner, winner for a lifetime” Remember it doesn’t matter how small or big the targets achieved were, as long as they were taken and accomplished.

E.g., If you have about 15 units of work to be done (15 chapters to study, 15 projects to complete, 15 sales to be accomplished, 15 presentations to do, etc) & you have 30 days left. Then in simple steps just take a target of completing 10 units of work in the first half of time i.e., in the first 15 days, which should be further broken to 6 in the first 8 days and 4 in the next 7 days. The last 5 units can be finished in the next 8 days which leaves 7 days as a buffer time for contingency.


More checkpoints allow for a few rearrangements in the deadlines so that the final deadline is achieved right and well. Work completed well within time fills you up with self-esteem and high levels of confidence for all that is coming ahead! Hence, goals broken down into simpler targets make things happen at a much faster pace than estimated.

A few manipulations of deadlines is permissible, as it’s human to anticipate failures. But largely this gives you the ability to plan well and decide deadlines. Deadlines are a reason for producing a focussed workforce and it’s a definite secret of achievers. Excessive manipulations in the deadlines are always bad, as that induces the attitude of procrastination, which a majority of us have been victims of, somewhere in the past or are even today (did you just smile? :)). The attitudes of giving up/quitting also develop when you foster the habit of manipulating your deadlines.

Another little weapon during the battle of life is this great attitude of not taking yourself for granted and being ready to punish yourself if you have gone wrong. Once you take a target, be strict with yourself. It is a great attitude to have.

Punishing yourself on failing the target is a great practice(No suicides please – Just punish, don’t kill yourself ;)), e.g., sacrificing your favorite Tv serial/ chocolate/ game/ talking to a friend for a week/fortnight/10 days, etc. is a punishment you must give yourself to get more done from yourself.

Given the fact that you punish yourself for failing, you should also learn to reward yourself when you complete a target. Treating yourself is a great practice, it boosts your morale.

“How do we set goals? What is the best way to set goals?”All said & done, technically your goals, of course, need to follow the brilliant & best prevailing norm of being SMART

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Achievable

R – Realistic

T – Time-Bound

Examples of SMART Goals:

I shall complete 5 lectures of the online course in 7 days.

I shall complete reading 3 books in next 3 months.

I shall complete my sales target for today in the next 4 hours.

I shall buy a blue Audi car worth 0.5 Million in the next 2 years.

I shall buy an apartment worth 1 Million $ before turning 30.


Examples of goals that aren’t SMART:

I shall complete all courses in one day.

I shall read 5 books in 2 hours.

I shall complete my education as soon as possible.

I shall buy a large house (or a big car).

Once you ensure your goals are SMART, the most important thing to remember is that the drive and motivation to make your dreams happen and achieve your goals comes from your VISION/WHY – your purpose of life. No matter what, you need to pump yourself towards your GOAL. Any added inspiration or motivation acts like Nitrous oxide cylinders to boost your speed of execution. So keep yourself motivated & inspired all the time. Stay on toes to make things happen.

Remember if you have not defined your deadlines, haven’t decided how much you would want to accomplish in how much time, you are moving into blank space and achieving any growth in life is nearly impossible.

If you are still confused on any of this, Do not worry, it’s not abnormal – A few more repeated readings of what you have read from page 1 till here, will help you gain clarity. It’s like when a movie is watched thrice, it has all its misunderstood or skipped scenes understood and grabbed. Likewise re-reading this book will be of utmost help to get deeper clarity. Besides, you could also consult a good life coach for more help in this regard.


Your goals are yours and none can alter your decision to reach it. Though there are enough people in the market to make your visions get blurred as you walk along the path of making your dreams happen, if you stick long enough, they are bound to materialize into realities of your life. Stay clear and stay focused.

They say:

“A vision with clarity is a vision to reality!”

Publisher's Note

While this article is truly inspiring and insightful, the book Life Simplified! authored by Mr. Sujit Lalwani has a lot more content that you cannot miss reading. The book is available both on amazon.com & amazon.in for you to grab a copy of your own.

Reading books is one of the ways that leaders keep themselves fine-tuned. It grows you to great heights within and without. If you don't find time to read complete books you could subscribe to online platforms and apps like Blinkist that give you short summaries of all major books globally.

You could follow amazing podcasts, listen to audiobooks & watch quality documentaries, but, in whatever sense you can, it's important that you let yourself wander only in the world of content that empowers you. The world today belongs to those that are going to be making the right choice of content they take in. In short, the world belongs to those that are going to be Digitally Wise. #Digiwise #KeepReading