Lately I’ve noticed that what keeps me going and what I can attribute to my day to day happiness, or lack thereof, is the existence and realization of goals. I find that for me it’s very important to constantly be setting and revising my goals for the future. I tend to be somewhat of a big dreamer which I think keeps me happy, but I’m realizing more and more the importance of acting on your dreams.

A great relevant quote comes to mind from a book I am reading right now by Keith Ferrazzi called “Never Eat Alone,” that Boris recommended to me a while back; “Goals are dreams with a deadline.” To me that really puts things in perspective. Sure, you will have a multitude of dreams and aspirations in your life that may or may not be realistic, but what should separate your goals from your dreams is a sense of urgency that drives you to set mental and physical deadlines to work towards. For example:

Long Term: ——————————————> Short Term:

Become a Doctor in 8 years                         Study hard and pass MCATs in 2 months

Buy a house by the age of 27                      Start a business, save money, maintain credit

Write a book in 3 years                                 Do research, make relationships with publishers

On days that I accomplish one of these short term goals that bring me closer to the long term dreams I feel happy and optimistic, and I can safely say that this happiness becomes more sustainable with time.