While it is absolutely true that most people set their goals too low, it is just as dangerous to your long term success and happiness to try to move too quickly and without thought.

Some people try to reach the top rung of the ladder of success in a single move, by skipping the rungs in between. This strategy leads to spectacular failures and usually results in a person never achieving the desired goal or being denied the pleasure of an earned success.

Shortcuts to achievement of any goal are usually an attempt to circumvent real issues that need to be dealt with, and experiences required to obtain real and lasting success.

You often see this in solar power installations, where people put no real thought into the system that they are building, but just buy some equipment and set it up expecting that they will have a great system, only to be disappointed with the results. I'm not saying you need to be an engineer, but much like an engineer you need to be sure that you have a realistic vision of what you're out to accomplish. You need to invest your time and money properly so that whatever you purchase will fit into your completed system that meets your goals. And as part of this process you continuously learn from what you've done and make any corrections in goals or equipment purchases so you end up achieving your goals.

These principles are the same whether you are building a solar power system or building your life. We need to constantly stay in touch with reality and use what we learn to correct our course to meet our goals. Our goals can be very fixed, but navigating our way to our destination requires we have our hands on the wheel and that we stay alert.

One way to guarantee failure is to set goals too high. We all have different skills, talents, needs, and financial resources. What is possible is a highly variable and subjective thing that we all have to think about. Generally the higher the goals the greater the sacrifice, and the greater the risk. My suggestion is to set goals that you can reach and approach whatever you are seeking one step at a time. Celebrate your success with each step. You need to see your progress and enjoy the trip.

What is success to you? I was reading a car magazine the other day about a Lamborguini. It's a car that has always fascinated me. As I was drooling over the pages reading about the incredible acceleration, cornering, braking, top speed and all that, and I happened to see what it cost just for a single tire. It was a real shock! To replace all the tires and give that little Lamborguini a tuneup I'd have to mortgage my house! All of a sudden I was cured. Interesting car, but waaay to expensive for me to take care of. I'd love to drive one someday for a hour or two, but I have no interest in buying one.

When we set a goal we have to take everything into consideration in a non-superficial way. A little extra thought in the beginning can save a lot of heartburn and regret later.

If you keep your goals real, your values real, and your mind fixed in reality you can't go too far wrong. Most foolish mistakes are due to not thinking of consequences, costs, and the 'big picture' of life.

Another source of error is pride. Trying to impress people and 'fit in' with some social circle. Try to avoid the herd instinct and instead try to be independent and helpful to others who can benefit from your experience and background. IF they want it. We all hear our own siren's song and we need to be free to seek our own version of success. But it is rewarding if you can help someone here and there.

Go for it! Be your own definition of a winner. Tomorrow can be better than today.