Goals for life and your business are important. Everyone knows this. That’s why there are goal-setting retreats, workshops, seminars and journals. If you never pick a point on the horizon, how do you know which direction to walk?

However, most people’s goals and even many business’s goals aren’t really their goals. Many people set goals in reaction to the responsibilities, expectations and demands they face in their life. Maybe your goal is to make six figures this year, but you are motivated to make that money because you have bills to pay and mouths to feed. Maybe your goal is to finish writing your book, but it’s not because you care about the book…you just want the approval of those who’ve said, “Hey, you should write a book!” Maybe you are striving to get that advanced degree, but it’s only to satisfy the prodding of your parents or you think it will give you more credibility as an entrepreneur and business owner.

Real goals are the ones that YOU actually care about. They light you up, give you energy and make you feel excited. They make you want to jump at 5 am so that you can get into your office as soon as possible to start working on an innovative business idea or start putting systems and processes in place. Real goals have nothing to do with expectation or obligation, and everything to do with what matters most to YOU. You know it is a real goal because the very thought of it excites you and brings a great big smile to your face at the very thought of accomplishing it.

Of course, we’re bombarded every day with expectation and obligation. We have to react to a constant barrage of requests, demands and last-minute emergencies. And when those are handled, it’s time to rest so we can get up and do it all again tomorrow.

Well, I say that it’s time to break the cycle. It’s time to dream.

In order to get in touch with the things that will make your life amazing, you need to take quiet time to reflect on and listen to what it is you REALLY want. What is it that you really, really want for your life and for your business?

Leaving your family and responsibilities for a long weekend to venture into the woods for a journey of self-exploration may not be feasible. But you can start with a simple “sit-down”. A “sit-down” is a five-minute meditation followed by 20 minutes of journaling. Ask yourself, “What do I really want?” The real answers will feel thrilling. Write them down. Circle the most exciting ones, put realistic deadlines next to them, and create your action plan.

Often our dreams feel far away, impossible to achieve or unreachable for a variety of reasons we’ve made up in our minds, or others have told us. But MANY goals are achievable when we think them through, plan them out in simple steps, and consistently allocate time to them.

Life is too short to spend it chasing someone else’s goals or dismissing your own because someone else said it’s not possible. Don’t’ wait another moment – pursue your real goals today.