Have you ever been asked, “What do you want to do with your life?” “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “Where are you planning to go to college?”

You will eventually have to face these types of questions. Each day, you make choices and decisions. The ability to plan for them and to set goals, no matter the size, will help you become a more effective person.

If you took a moment, could you write a lengthy list of all your short-, medium- and long-term goals? The list is probably not as big as it could be. If you took time to really think about what you want to do with your life, you could probably come up with an extensive list.

Look at society. So many teenagers have an “I don’t care” attitude—they drift aimlessly through life. Many youth today make no goals other than when they will play the next video game, watch a favorite television show, or hang out with friends.

As a youth who attends God’s Church and is able to understand His teachings, you can be a great example by the goals you set and achieve. By doing this, you will become an overall better human being. You will achieve what you set out to do and, of course, you will be far happier!

Successful people, especially leaders, have tremendous vision. They can see themselves getting things done—becoming something. King Solomon wrote, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18).

Do you use vision in your own life? Do you foresee events developing in your life and prepare for them? Can you see yourself married? Employed? Parenting children? Becoming baptized, and ultimately becoming a member of the God Family?

Are you preparing for your future?

Types of Goals

So what are all the goals you can have? There are many different kinds and sizes.

Take a moment to think of all the areas in your life in which you can have specific aspirations. As you read this article, you may wish to write or type a list of your own goals. Place them into different categories—short-, medium- and long-term. Be sure to leave a number of spaces between each goal so you can write out specific steps to fulfill them.

God’s way of life: There are endless goals within living God’s way of life. As a teenager in the Church, you should certainly aspire to be baptized. Before reading every Ambassador Youth, you should reread the tagline, “Developing Leaders for the World Tomorrow,” and make this your goal—to become a leader in the world to come. Smaller goals, but just as important, should be daily prayer and Bible study, taking sermon notes and reviewing them, and having edifying discussions regarding what you learn.

Understand that the pulls and temptations of this world are getting stronger. To survive, you must determine to achieve—set your mind on—numerous goals in this area of your life. If you do not—if you allow yourself to “go with the flow”—you will not end up where you want to be.

Your future: There are endless goals you can have regarding your future. Will you go to college? What courses will you take? Do you want to be married? Do you want to have children? What kind of career will you pursue?

Self-improvement: You may also have many goals regarding personal improvement: self-discipline, personality development, cultural refinement, a sense of humor, human relations, personal health, etc. Ways to improve the self are never-ending.

Your daily life: Determine to be more effective in all that you do on a daily basis. Look at each day and set goals in areas where you can improve. Do you snack too often or watch too much television? Are you rude to parents or family members?

As mentioned, one’s goals can be endless. But you need to start somewhere. Look at each area of your life and ask yourself where you want to see improvement. Write a list of reachable—attainable—goals!

How to Set a Goal

Start by setting the large goals in your life. Whether it is baptism, marriage, children or college, be sure to come up with specific large, long-term goals.

Also, determine some medium-sized goals. Ask yourself: What would I want accomplished six months from now? Once you have some answers, create a list of attainable goals.

When setting specific weekly and daily goals, ask: What are the things I need to get done in a week but never find the opportunity or time to do? Do I find the time to exercise three to four days a week? Do I review my sermon notes? Do I set aside days throughout the school week for in-depth study?

No matter the size of the goal, come up with specific plans and steps to fulfill it. As the old adage goes, “Most people do not plan to fail, they fail to plan.” A famous football player once said, “Spectacular achievements are always preceded by painstaking preparation.” Keep the plan practical so you can analyze where you went wrong if the goal is not reached or when you experience setbacks.

Also, beware of human nature. It is natural to go the easy way. That is why it is so common to procrastinate, to sit in front of the television, to not do homework, etc. After setting goals, be prepared for times when you will not feel like following through. Know that feelings of laziness and indifference will come and be ready to counteract them with all your might. Ask God, through prayer, for the strength to follow through with your goals.

A basic principle to keep in mind: Do not allow circumstances to dictate what you do with your life. Society plays the “victim card” in every conceivable way. Do not fall into the same trap, claiming you are a victim when something does not go according to plan.

Different and difficult circumstances will arise, but keep your eyes on your goals. The temptation to quit the pursuit of a goal is based on temporary feelings. Do not allow yourself to be controlled by feelings. Be an emotionally mature person and determine to stay focused.

The Ultimate Goal

Teenagers in this world do not have access to the knowledge and understanding that you have. Nothing could be more vital than fulfilling your awesome human potential. No goal is as important as growing in God’s character and ultimately becoming part of the God Family.

Do not take for granted all that you hear and read in God’s Church. Prove to yourself what this temporary human life is all about. Study the booklet Why Do You Exist? and the book The Awesome Potential of Man. Apply these materials to yourself—and be determined that you will achieve your incredible potential!

For the rest of your life, strive to follow the example of Paul, who said, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

(To learn more about setting and achieving goals in your life, read our booklet The Laws to Success.)