It is said that a life without goals is like a race with no finish line; you’re just heading nowhere. Doing things without goals can end up with you just going through the motions and not actually improving.

Mathias Nkeeto, an educator at Green Hills Academy, says having goals in life is one way to grow and ensure that you move forward. "It is just like how it is in our daily lives when you complete a task, be it at home or work, and feel that sense of accomplishment,” he says.

Nkeeto says that achieving any goal is like winning first place and running past the victory line each time you achieve another. Being goal-oriented, he says, means that one is focused on reaching or completing specific tasks to achieve a planned outcome.

"Ideally, people who are goal-oriented are driven and motivated by purpose, as they use targets to stay motivated in their work, or whichever environment they are in,” he says.

Diana Nawatti, the head teacher at Mother Mary Complex School in Kigali, is of the view that being a goal-driven or goal-oriented person means setting targets and objectives that will make progress throughout your life much easier.

She believes that people who are goal-driven always work hard to meet their objectives in life, unlike those who aren’t guided by anything in life.

Nawatti believes that to be successful in life, there must be the desire to set goals and work towards achieving them. Success is what everybody desires and, therefore, it is essential to possess all the tools needed to achieve whatever you want in life.

Nkeeto says in order to achieve whatever you have set, it’s ideal to always plan and organise your strategies, including the duration.

This, he says, could be as simple as planning the steps and what it takes to get there, as well as gathering the resources needed so they are easily accessible.

Nkeeto points out that being optimistic about what you want is also helpful. This, he says, can be helpful when it comes to focusing on solutions to issues, therefore, all that is needed is to build on the confidence towards achieving your goals.

Nawatti says when it comes to goal setting, one should be self-aware in all areas. She explains that normally, goal-setting strategies require one to understand their strengths and identify areas of improvement.

This awareness, she believes, can assist one in seeking results that impact success in general.

Also, she says for tasks that are more urgent or vital to your objectives, one may need to review the options, anticipate the outcomes and decide which tasks they need to complete and in what order.

Establishing clear deadlines to ensure you make progress on your goals is vital, according to experts, which can be achieved by scheduling or calendar management to assign yourself short-term milestones that lead to achieving long-term goals.