We all have goals.

Whether consciously or unconsciously, everyone has set an objective that they intend to complete. The issue then becomes when and if you'll achieve those goals. Does that matter? Should that matter?

I know when a lot of people think about goal setting they probably first think about the acronym that either a teacher or any other adult in their life has told them about: S.M.A.R.T. Setting specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound goals. At the time that I first heard this, I thought it was reasonable enough but now I've realized that not all goals have to fit into those categories. I think it's okay to have some of your future aspirations up in the air especially if you are striving for more than one career path because life is unpredictable. You don't know what your situation is going to be in 5 years or even in 2 months. Not having everything set on a strict schedule allows you more flexibility if you happen to end up in a position that was not what you envisioned.

However, it is NOT okay to say you want to do something and yet never taking the steps that would put you in a position to get to that point in your life.

You can't expect to achieve something when you're not even trying; life doesn't work that way.

There's a huge difference between wanting to do something and actually putting in the work required to eventually attain it. Simply telling people you want to eventually write a book is not the same as actually drafting ideas and thinking about plot lines. It's a little useless to want to take up photography but never thinking about investing in a good camera. Those little things are what make up the big things that will lead you to where you want to be.

A lot of people fall into this trap, particularly when it comes the "side hustle"; the thing that's not their primary job but is a way to either make some money or follow a passion. Even though it may be important to you, if you're more preoccupied with your main job, you'll tend to forget about it and cast it to the side.

Consider this a reminder for you to start working towards that side hustle, that lifelong ambition or even that weight loss goal. To cross the finish line, you actually have to start the race.