I believe that the first step towards setting and achieving personal goals is that you must realize you have to prepare for the future and not wait for it to happen. My life in retrospect has had many changes and twists; it is in a constant state of development. The process of getting ready to write this essay was very challenging. It really forced me to focus on my life and how it has changed as I have matured. Setting goals has forced me to take a look at my values