Anyone who has ever achieved a goal knows that setting a goal is the first step in reaching that goal. That’s because a goal really is nothing more than a desired result. Some people like to compare a goal to a destination on a map. It defines where they want to eventually end up. A goal gives them direction and something to look forward to.

Knowing exactly what your goals are makes it easier to define all of the smaller steps you need to take to achieve those goals, or desired results. In keeping with the map analogy, you could compare these smaller steps to the different roads you must travel in order to reach your ultimate destination.

Most business owners would never attempt to open their doors without clearly defining both short-term and long-term goals. The ones that fail to do this – whether because of a lack of time or a lack of goal-setting knowledge – are usually the ones that fail. But the businesses that set short-term and long-term goals – and know what’s needed to accomplish those goals – will always be in a much better position to succeed.

The same is true with personal goals. It all sounds so easy and so obvious, doesn’t it? But you would be amazed by the number of people who don’t know what it takes to achieve their goals and, as a result, never realize their business, career, or personal dreams.

The simple act of going through the process of thinking about your goal and setting that goal is the first – and maybe the most important – step towards reaching it. In order to ensure that you make quick progress towards your touch typing goals, you’ll need to set specific targets for your speed (words per minute) and accuracy, and a timeframe for making those goals. Make sure they’re within reach, however – if you’ve never used a computer, you can’t expect to be typing at 120wpm in two days!