Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to
Alice: I don’t much care where.
The Cat: Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go.
Alice: …so long as I get somewhere.
The Cat: Oh, you’re sure to do that, if only you walk long enough.

Many of us head out along that path, away from somewhere but toward, we know not
where. Unfortunately, without an end goal or destination in mind, our
endless efforts to be happier, healthier and more fulfilled leave us tired
and frustrated. And, the farther we travel without a target, the
harder it will be to find our way back.  Each time we try and fail at
something, we fall back farther in terms or our optimism, energy, self
confidence and courage.  So it is important, before we set out on our
journey to change, that we have a clear sense of where we are trying to get
to.  What is the desired outcome of the change?  How will we KNOW when we
have been successful.  Who can help us get on the right path and stay
on course?  What are the milestones that will help you know you
are on track along the way? 

Like Alice, before we set out, we must be clear about our destination. 
Of these things we can be sure: time will pass, energy will be expended, our
hair will gray, our faces will wrinkle, our joints will stiffen.  But at the end
of the day, will we end up where we hoped we’d be?  Surely not if we don’t know
where that is.