set one's sights

• set sights

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set one's sights

1. (transitive with on) To give one's close attention to, especially as a goal, objective, or other object of special interest.

   to set one's sights high

   • 1984 Oct. 30, "Pocket of Atlanta Fights Developers," New York Times (retrieved 1 Aug 2015):

     Spurred by a real estate boom in which houses that sold for $15,000 just six years ago now sell for upwards of $150,000, the developers have set their sights on Cabbagetown.

   • 2006 Nov. 1, Steve Rosenbush, "Is a Google-Clear Channel deal at hand?," Businessweek (retrieved 1 Aug 2015):

     Google, known for its cutting-edge Internet software, may be setting its sights on the low-tech radio market.

   • 2008 June 27, "Blair Campaigns for Climate Action," Time (retrieved 1 Aug 2015):

     Blair has also set his sights on solving another insolvable problem during his retirement: climate change.

• “set ones sights on something” in the Collins English Dictionary
• “set your sights on sth” in the Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• “set one's sights” in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press.
• “set sights on” in thefreedictionary.com, Copyright 2010 Farlex, Inc.
• “set your sights high” in thefreedictionary.com, Copyright 2010 Farlex, Inc.