One of the most challenging tasks in computer graphics and cyberworlds is the realistic animation of the behavior of virtual agents emulating human beings and evolving within virtual 3D worlds. In a previous paper, the authors presented a new, sophisticated behavioral system that allows the agents to take intelligent decisions by themselves. A central issue of this process is the adequate choice of appropriate mechanisms for goal selection. This is actually the aim of the present contribution. In this paper a new scheme for goal selection is described. According to it, the goal's priority is calculated as a combination of different agent's internal states (given by mathematical functions also described in this paper) and external factors (which will determine the goal's feasibility). The architecture of the goal selection module as well as its simulation flow are also analyzed in this paper. Finally, the excellent performance of this new scheme is enlightened by means of a simple yet illustrative example.