"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right" - Henry Ford

Wise man that Mr. Ford!

The most important thing to remember when setting any goal (and many other more well-known gurus besides myself, will tell you) that success begins with the right frame of mind.
If you believe yourself to be a success in your chosen field, you will talk like a success, dress like a success, and emulate success. This will be pervasive and evident in any and all interactions you have with people.

A second cardinal rule in goal-setting is to make the goal measurable. This means that you will be able to see if you have been successful in meeting your goal because you set yourself a bench for its success.

To give you some examples, a weak goal would be:
I want to do better in school
- This tells nothing of the time frame (do you mean this year, this term, what??)
- This also does not tell you what you mean by "better"

A good goal would be:
I want to achieve an 85 percent in English this term, and I will do that by doing the following 3 things.

Measurable. Succinct. Clear.

Author's Bio: 

Christine Topjian is the Founder and President of LearnToday.ca, an organization that helps people be authentic and take actions toward their personal and professional goals, through group seminars and one-on-one coaching.