Goal setting can be the most important thing you do in life. I have personally experienced the power of setting goals. I will share with you my experience and knowledge about goal setting in this article.
Why is setting goals important? Goals give you direction in life. It brings out new behaviors in a person. It makes you improve as a person, whether it is skills or attitude. It leads you to achieve something in your professional and financial life.
In brief, I will share with you the reasons why you need to set goals. Also, I have listed the ways I use to quickly start setting your goals.
WHY SET GOALS?
A goal is a thought of the future or an expected outcome. Setting goals is a practice that takes time.
Here are some reasons why people set goals.
1. It gives you direction.
Goals give you direction in life. Here are some areas most people consider why they set goals.
- Career – What do you want in life? This question helps you become what you want as a person.
- Finances – How much do you want to earn? Make a benchmark of how much you want.
- Education – What new knowledge or skills do you want to learn? Why do you want to learn this new knowledge or skills?
- Family – Do you want to have a family? If so, how would you become a responsible parent?
Other people set goals for their pleasure, physical, and attitude. Usually, when people set goals they are specific on the categories in life they want to focus on.
2. It motivates you to move forward.
Your goals help you to improve. It allows you to become the best version of you. It makes you a better person. It inspires you.
When you achieve your goals, try celebrating your little progress. By doing so, it will give you more perseverance and hope that you can achieve your goals. It will make you feel energized. It will motivate you to continue doing your goals until you finally get there.
3. It helps you become independent.
Do goals make you independent? Yes, definitely! Whenever you set your goals, you think about what is best for you. You think about what option suits you. You think about which choice is easier for you. You think about how you could handle the situation on your own. By doing so, you are exercising your independence.
4. It makes you persistent.
The goals you chose defines you. Through the increasing difficulty of each goal, you will be persevering. It will remind you of the progress and the reward you’ll be receiving once you accomplish it.
5. It trains you to become a good decision-maker.
Decision making is an acquired skill through practice and experiences. Through goal setting, you would be able to weigh and analyze your values. It will help you with which one to focus on and which one is less important.
6. It saves time and money.
How much do you spend within a year? Do you overspend? Setting your goals removes you from the chance of wasting time and money. It helps you ease your resources. It stops you from making unnecessary decisions. When your eyes are already fixed into something, you will not be distracted with anything.
7. It helps us thrive in a fast-changing world.
To cope up with this, one must continue learning. Only learning can help us thrive in this society. Set goals that will help you cope in a changing environment.
For example, I will set – up the online store of my business next week.
8. It makes learning fun.
Learning could not be boring. It could be as fun and exciting as other things could be. One way to make learning exciting is by setting your learning goals. These goals would challenge you and motivate you to persevere.
For example, I will enroll in a Master’s Degree this year. I will learn to edit videos for my video essays next week.
9. It makes you productive.
Your goals would lead you to your desired track. It will stop you from wandering and from wasting your time and resources. It will help you to become a good individual. It enhances your life skills.
Quick start of setting your goals
To set one, it must be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound.) Zig Ziglar said, “A goal set is halfway reached.” So, how would you set it? Here’s the SMART way:
Specific
Make sure that your goals are precise. Broad goals are very confusing and can make you lose your focus. Always be specific and make sure that it won’t distract or lose your attention. Knowing your goal will give you more reasons to do it precisely.
Measurable
Your goals are meaningful. It should have an impact on your life if you attain it. It should be measurable. Meaning to say, you know until when you are going to pursue and chase your goals. How far or near will I reach this goal?”
Attainable
Set goals that are within your ability and resources. Goals that are not attainable are useless. Make sure that it will unleash your skills and capabilities. More importantly, you should know your strengths and weaknesses for you to be able to distinguish if your goal is attainable.
Realistic
Goals must be practical. Is it relevant to your life? Don’t set a goal that is too far from reality. You need to have a practical way of thinking. It can measure and see if your goals are realistic or near realistic. Ask yourself if it is going to give an impact on your life.
Time-bound
Goals can change from time to time. One’s goal in their teenage might change when they reach adulthood, and that’s okay. You should have short-term goals and long-term goals. Write it on a piece of paper and break down all your goals. Ask yourself if what are my long-term goals? What are my short-term goals?
Things to remember in setting your SMART Goals
Once you are done planning the SMART goals you have to put it into action. Stay committed then make sure to make the progress of your goals every day. Some goals were beautiful enough that some forgot to make it happen. Don’t just foresee it, do it. Take a justified and goal-oriented action.
In between chasing your goals, there will be barriers and challenges that might hinder you from meeting your goals. So, for you to overcome those, follow the SMART goal.
Examples of Personal Goals
For his New Year’s Resolution, Steve decided to think about what is best for his life. Here are his personal goals
His long term goals are as follows:
Career – To be the principal of the school he is currently teaching.
Physical – To be physically fit by exercising regularly.
Finances – To invest in insurance for retirement.
Steve has listed down his lifetime goals, now he breaks his long term goal of becoming a principal into short term goals.
Five – year goal: Become principal
Two– year goal: Finish his Graduate Studies
One – year goal: Publish articles and action researches
Six – month goal: Attend seminars and training
As you can see, you need to turn long term goals into short term goals. It is manageable.
Conclusion
A goal is an idea or thought one would want to achieve.
Goals make you better. It gives you direction, motivation, persuasion, and it enhances your life skills. A goal is something that gives you the adrenaline feeling of having a purpose in life. Having a goal in life gives a lot of encouragement. It changes towards someone’s perspectives in life and how he sees the value of life itself.
There is nothing much better than accomplishing our goals. We are not just dreaming when it comes to our goals. When we set goals, it means our action is part of the plan. Make yourself committed to your goals. Don’t over skip it. Make sure you are following the guidelines on how you are going to reach your goal. Make it a habit.
Related Questions
How many goals should a person have? A person should have at least 3 to 5 goals to be set. Remember that goals should be attainable and within your capabilities as a person.
How would I know what goals to be the focus on? Focus on goals that are the simpler ones. Remember short-term goals are to be the focus on long-term goals. In this one, you should know what you have to focus on first and others should be your options only.
When can I assess my goals? Goals can be assessed depending on the timeline you set when to achieve it.What if I complete my goals early, what is next? Congratulations! You may set other long term and short term goals that you want to achieve. You can also try to set harder goals for you to challenge yourself.
