Have you ever imagined what the future holds for you? Whether you'll have more clients, more projects, or a thriving business? Your dreams can come true, but you need to set goals and work towards them.

As a freelancer, it is important to set objectives and take action to achieve great future accomplishments. In this post, you have everything you need to get started.

Setting Goals: What to Do, How to Achieve Them + 15 Examples

How to Set Goals?

Setting goals refers to deciding what you want to achieve in the future and planning how to do it. For this, you must be clear about your purposes, making sure you can measure progress and achieve it within a specific time frame.

It's important that these goals are capable of reflecting your personal values and also guiding you towards where you want to go in life. By setting them, you commit to improving yourself and doing everything within your reach to achieve it, which is key to succeeding in whatever you set out to do.

If you're not sure how to start, try writing an essay to refine critical thinking and optimize your ability to argue.

Long-term vs. Short-term Goals

When it comes to defining your objectives, it's vital to distinguish the roles that both short-term and long-term goals play. This way, you'll have a clearer idea when organizing your efforts and resources.

Below is a comparative chart with the main differences:

Features	Long-term goals	Short-term goals
Panification	They require a more complex and strategic plan.	They are more direct and tactical, with less complex planning.
Duration	They can take more than five years.	They are usually less than a year, weeks or months.
Motivation	It is sustained by a broad purpose.	They tend to generate quick satisfaction and motivation is short-term.
Evaluation	May be less frequent.	Requires more continuous evaluations and rapid adjustments.
Purpose	Defines the overall direction and vision of life or career.	Focuses on immediate accomplishments and concrete tasks.

As you can see, goals differ in several aspects and each can serve different purposes.

Why is it important to set long-term goals?

Setting long-term goals is essential for several reasons, especially if you want to achieve sustained and significant development in your life, whether professional or personal.

Here are some of the reasons:

They give you a clearer vision of what you want to achieve in the future, guiding your actions and decisions towards a defined purpose.
They keep motivation high despite the challenges or setbacks you may have. They remind you why all your ongoing efforts matter.
They serve as foundations for building more immediate goals, indicating that every small step will lead to something greater.
They allow you to evaluate your progress and adjust your strategy to grow and adapt in any field.

Long-term goals pave your way to success and also improve your personal and professional development over time.

Types of Goals You Can Set

There are different goals you can set in your freelance career, including:

Personal development goals. Focus on areas that boost your growth. Personal goals include a skill, a fear, your physical appearance, or anything else that is essential to optimize your well-being and performance.
Professional/financial goals. Focus on achieving specific objectives in your career. This can relate to developing or strengthening your personal brand, increasing your client base, or diversifying your income.
Contribution goals. Aimed at the positive impact your work can have on others. For example, participating in community projects, supporting an organization that helps others, or offering mentorship.
Innovation goals. Related to adopting new technologies or methodologies in your work that can differentiate you from the rest. This could potentially open up market opportunities and improve your service offerings.

These categories cover a wide spectrum of goals, from personal and professional improvement to contributing and connecting with your community.

Guide: 7 Steps to Achieve Your Goals

Now that you know that objectives have great power on the path to success, how do you achieve your goals? Follow these 7 steps:

1. Define what you want to achieve. Be clear about what you really want to achieve, whether it's a short-term or long-term project.

2. Schedule. Set a deadline for each of your goals to maintain motivation and a sense of urgency.

3. Apply SMART criteria. To ensure clear and realistic goals, use the SMART framework. That is, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound objectives.

4. Ground. Analyze the importance of each goal and identify how it contributes to your overall vision to increase your commitment and determination.

5. Break down goals. Divide each large objective into manageable subtasks to facilitate the process.

6. Draft an action plan. Develop a detailed plan that describes the steps to follow, the necessary resources, and strategies to overcome potential obstacles.

7. Start working. Take the first step towards your goals once you have the plan in hand. Start working immediately, as proactivity is crucial to maintaining momentum and achieving your goals.

Achieving each of your goals will contribute to the development of your potential as a freelancer. This can be very encouraging and enriching as you expand your professional horizons.

You can also rely on platforms like Lucidchart or Asana, which offer templates for defining and achieving goals.

15 Examples of Long-term Goals

There are many objectives you can set in your life, whether in the professional or personal sphere. However, we want to provide you with some ideas that might be useful.

15 ways to set goal examples:

1. Learn a new language.

2. Adopt a pet.

3. Compete in a marathon.

4. Play the piano.

5. Visit other countries.

6. Buy a house.

7. Maximize income.

8. Increase the client base.

9. Establish a new business.

10. Expand the professional network.

11. Lead a large project.

12. Obtain a new degree.

13. Buy a car.

14. Create a support organization.

15. Learn an extreme sport.

These are just some simple examples of long-term goals. Just remember that by defining them, you also commit to organizing and self-improving, both key factors in achieving sustained success in any aspect of your life.

And if your immediate goal is to find a service that allows you to save on exchange rates, DolarApp is the solution. Use it as a method to receive payments for your services, especially if you work for a foreign company.