“I’m tired of dreaming.  I’m into doing at the moment.  It’s, like, let’s only have goals that we can go after.” — Bono

As we set our sights on a new year, it’s worth revisiting the adage, “Aim at nothing and you’ll hit it every time.”  Peter Drucker observed, “Management by objective works — if you know the objectives.  Ninety percent of the time, you don’t.”

Research concludes: goals are highly motivational and encourage persistence.  The reason most people don’t reach their goals is they don’t define believable, achievable goals and commit to them in writing.  Goals that lack commitment are better classified as wishes and dreams.

The Bottom Line: Leaders convert their dreams into reality through disciplined goal setting that provides motivation and encourages persistence.