We all know the value of goal setting to spur us on to achieving our goals. But in reality, the real power in goal setting is not verbalizing your objective, the power in goal setting is: The DeadLine. 
Have you ever noticed how you might have 3 hours to get a project at work finished, but you actually do your best and most focused work the closer you get to the 3 hour mark?
The simple fact is that the more time you have to finish a task, the longer it actually takes to finish it. If you’ve been a student, you’ve no doubt pulled an all nighter at least once. Fact is, unless something is urgent, the amount of time required to finish it will expand and it will take you forever to get it done.
The exact same thing happens when setting goals. It is important to create a sense of urgency, therefore give your goals deadlines. Set a big, one year goal and then break it into 4 quarterly goals and 12 monthly goals. Setting these deadlines will create urgency and give you benchmarks against which to measure your progress. Deadlines serve to increase your motivation and propel you to take the positive action you need to reach your goals.
Remember, a goal without a deadline is just a dream.