Whether you are in business for yourself or even if you are unemployed, you can always use a little improvement in one area common to all members of the human race - you can always use a tip or two on how to achieve goals. You may be the most successful tycoon on the planet, and have the paparazzi trailing your every move. No matter, there is always room to improve.

That being said, if you have found yourself in a rut and want to stop another day of status quo, then you have come to the right place. The author of this article has had a lifetime of mistakes as well as goals achieved. You have found a fellow student in the classroom of life, one who has achieved goals.

How to Achieve Goals 101

• Set the Bar Just Right
• Get Focused
• Be Sure To Celebrate Victories

1. Set the Bar Just Right

One of the most common mistakes people make is one of two things. First, they set the bar too low. "I'm going to get out of bed" isnot a goal.The only time that should be considered a goal is if you have been tied to the bed with chains and you need to get breakfast... otherwise, what would be the point? Do not set the bar so low that a snail with a limp could leap over it.

The second mistake often made in trying to achieve goals is to set the bar so high that Michael Jordan, standing on top of Shaq's shoulders, being held up by Paul Bunyan, couldn't make it over the bar. Do not make the mistake of setting the goal so high you can never hope to achieve it - this is only a plan for frustration.

Be Goldilocks about it: set realistic, measurable, specific goals that are written down so you can review them and record your progress.

2. Get Focused

If you get focused, you'll accomplish just about anything. One of the most sure-fire ways to kill any hope of accomplishing your goals is to follow every bunny trail there is along the way. Don't be ADHD about achieving goals, be a laser-focused smart bomb if you want to hit your target. This may mean you delegate little distracting chores to others to keep your head in the game.

Above all, staying focused is a major element of how to achieve goals.

3. Be Sure To Celebrate Victories

All work and no play is a recipe for failure and early burnout. Life is a marathon, but with breaks and park benches along the way. Celebrate miniature milestones as you progress. If you are trying to get out of debt, then maybe a celebration would be to simply have a picnic in the park once you pay off a credit card. Perhaps you are trying to lose weight, then go to a movie or something you enjoy after losing "X" pounds.

This will keep your head focused, the journey light, and motivate you with pleasure as well as pain or a bare sense of duty.

This has been only a primer on how to achieve goals, but the principles are priceless and can be applied in various goal-setting scenarios. Remember: set the bar "just right," so your goal is worth achieving and capable of being met; get and stay focused to achieve your goal; be sure to celebrate the little wins along the way.