Don’t miss these important steps. Successful people do more than set goals. They keep those goals front and center — all the time. If you’re looking for a way to boost your motivation, try taking control of your goal-setting process. Here are a few simple ways to take charge, according to The Science of Success author James Arthur Way. Put it in the present. Write your goals in the present tense instead of the future. Thinking in the present makes the goal more realistic and actionable, says Way. Commit it. Write and re-read your goal every day. Even when this feels silly or pointless, it’s necessary to build a successful habit, Way insists.