I find that setting goal dates is setting oneself up for disappointment, because all sorts of unexpected problems can and do arise. However minigoals do in fact really help me. I find that recognizing that I've lost round figures like, say, 20 pounds really cheers me up. Or the time I did a little math and realized I was at the 25% lost mark, that really made me happy.

So I'm all for setting minigoals, but be patient and let yourself take time to get there.