While goal setting may not suit everybody, and some “experts” say it is a waste of time and effort, for many people the act of setting goals and then monitoring them does help to keep them focused and motivated. Both focus and motivation are essential to many personal achievements, so if setting goals can help you with those personal characteristics, then they are well worth while. As you meet each objective, you get a boost to your confidence, inspiring you to even greater things. One of the essentials of successful goal setting is making your goals achievable and measurable, and if you are new to exercise programs then that will involve doing some research into what you may be capable of. Setting goals that are too tough will just demoralize you, as you fail to meet each one. You want to be able to measure your progress, tick off your interim goals as you achieve them, and then move on to the next with confidence and enthusiasm.