Setting goals is a fundamental component to long-term success. Think about it, you cannot get where you are trying to go until you can clearly define where, exactly, THAT is. Goal setting is KEY! Once you have a CLEAR idea of what it is that you really want, you can begin to construct a blueprint. This blueprint will breakdown the BIG PICTURE into smaller components. Say you have a 5 year goal, otherwise known as your long-term goal, the first thing you need to figure out is what it will take to accomplish this goal. And, it helps if you write it down. A written goal represents a real commitment; commitment is what separates our dreams from our goals. After you write your goal down, you have to BREAK IT DOWN. This means if you have a 5 year goal, you need to write down the things that you can accomplish in the  mean time that will ultimately contribute to helping you arrive to your 5 year goal. What you are doing now is creating "short term goals." The short term goals are essential because these are the goals that keep you on track. These goals help you focus and allocate your time and resources efficiently.