Goals are not necessary but they do provide a framework to design and build your program upon.  Goals provide you with not only a direction but a magnitude. Saying you want to drive north for a vacation doesn't give you much, other than a direction.  Deciding you would like to travel north, 467 miles to a nice resort town for a 4-day stay, stopping at 246 miles in a quaint town with a nice bed and breakfast on the way to your vacation destination is a simple example of having a goal and creating a plan on how to achieve your goal.