Having goals for things we want to do and working towards them is an integral part of being human. Objectives are essential to our development and success. The path toward our goals will likely present challenges, but goals, big or small, make life good. It gives us a sense of meaning and purpose, points us in the direction we want, and gets us interested and engaged, all of which are good for our overall happiness.
So… where do we start?
- Decide. Think of something that you want to work towards. It can be big or small but make sure it is something you want to do or interest you. It’s harder to achieve goals when we do it for something or someone else. A worthy goal will be just a little beyond what we currently can do – goals that stretch us can be motivating.
- Write it down. Writing down our goals increases our chances of sticking with them. Write down what it means to achieve your goals and what it will look like when you reach them. Describe your goal in specific terms and timelines. Writing down your goals and being particular increases your chances of achieving them.
- Tell someone. Telling someone what you’re striving for also increases the likelihood of sticking to your goals. It provides accountability and motivation.
- Break it down. This is especially important for big goals. Think about the smaller steps you need to take to reach your big goal. When we make goals such as “I want to be healthier,” it is vague and doesn’t mean much. Breaking down exactly what it means to be healthier and how we do that on an hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly basis will make our goal seem more achievable and manageable.
- Plan your first step. Getting started can be one of the most challenging steps so planning those first steps is essential. Breaking down your first steps makes your goals manageable.
- Keep going. Consistency and endurance are one of the reasons, so many people quit reaching for their goals. Working towards our goals can sometimes be difficult and frustrating; this is when we need to persevere. If a step along the way isn’t working, think of alternative ways because there are always multiple steps that will help us get to our ultimate goal.
- Celebrate. Don’t forget to celebrate when you reach those small goals that will eventually lead you to achieve your ultimate goals. Once you have conquered a few steps, treat yourself to something you enjoy doing. In celebrating our small steps, we motivate ourselves to keep going.
Goals create road maps for our success and are targets for what we want in our lives. Knowing what direction we want to go makes us feel better about ourselves and our lives.
So, what goals are you setting?
