Setting goals may seem like something everyone does if they aim to be successful.
Indeed, many people just assume that goal-setting is a necessary pre-requisite to effectiveness in most areas of life.
If this is an assumption you’ve made, I invite you to put it aside for a moment. Step back and consider a larger question:
Why is this important?
Many people who set goals and begin to work on them don’t complete them.
So, goal-setting, in and of itself, is not a requirement for being an effective and successful person. If you feel driven to set goals because you ‘should,’ then you diminish your view of yourself as an effective and successful person each time you don’t achieve your goals.
Instead, I recommend that you view goal-setting as a technique to assist you in the 3 areas I explore below.
How setting goals helps:
- Setting goals helps you define what you want in your life. It does so in clear, concrete, and simple language. Nothing is as useful in determining exactly what you want and creating a picture of the outcomes in your mind, as the technique of setting goals.
- Once you have defined the outcomes you want, it’s much easier to design relevant action steps, through the technique of setting goals, to achieve those outcomes. Goal-setting clearly defines your destination and enables you to design action steps that point you in the right direction. You can look at your desired outcomes and measure exactly how well each action step you devise moves you closer to what you want to accomplish.
- Setting goals introduces two states of mind that can improve your life, whether you achieve your objectives or not. These two states of mind are “awareness” and “flexibility.” We’ll explore “awareness” today.
Reflect and recalibrate…
Too many people seem to go through life never fully aware of what they want or could have achieved until it’s too late. Your goals provide a framework that encourages awareness. Daily, you can look at your goals and consider how you are living your life.
You become aware of whether or not your life choices are bringing you closer to your objectives. Without that awareness, it is easy to settle for routine rather than choice. So you see if you think of goal-setting as a technique rather than an obligation, the entire process changes.
Stay tuned, because in my next post I’ll be looking at how setting goals enhances your flexibility.
And here’s more help for you…
Are you feeling at sea and rudderless? Unclear about what your priorities even are? Well, a time tool what I want to tell you about today is my E-Guide titled “Why Can’t I Find My Direction?” 17 Journaling Prompts to Create Your Ideal Life.
This E-Guide gets right down to business as it walks you through 17 journaling prompts aimed at helping you come to a deeper understanding of
- Who you are,
- What you value,
- What makes you tick and
- How you relate to your time choices.
Understanding any ONE of these things more fully is a great gift to give yourself. So I invite you to follow your heart as you clarify your priorities and find your direction with “Why Can’t I Find My Direction?” 17 Journaling Prompts to Create Your Ideal Life.
Click the link below to discover more about what’s possible for you.
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