Goals: The Blueprint for a Fulfilling Life

We create new goals because we notice that there are circumstances we are not happy with and we want to make a difference. Growing up we are taught that it is important to make goals if we want to succeed, but do we truly understand what they are and why they are crucial? Most of the time, I hear people only writing goals on New Year’s Day, but don’t look back at them till the next year. We are mainly familiar with short and long-term goals, but there are so many different types of life goals we can make. This can include performance, career, financial, physical, learning, spiritual, and much more. Setting goals is one of the best ways for us to properly define what we want in life. Our goals can lead to increased motivation, enhanced focus, time management, boosted confidence, and a successful happy life. Goal setting is truly the blueprint to a successful and fulfilling life.

You might be thinking, what really is a goal? Most of us have a good idea of what a goal is, but sometimes we get too comfortable and tend to forget the true essence and meaning. We can get into the habit of writing several things we want in life and wondering why we haven’t achieved them or done them properly. It is crucial to understand that goals are different compared to wishes and dreams. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said it best, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Dreams are ideas or plans we create in our mind, but a goal is the future outcome that needs to be achieved and it is based on us taking action. Setting goals and a plan of action is simply a system that gets us closer to what we want in our lives.

Most of the time, we write goals down and we think that this is enough, but there is more to it. I encourage you to sit down and force yourself to write some goals in different areas of your life. When we set goals it requires discipline and we must push ourselves. It is very easy to make mistakes during this process and it can include only setting goals for one area in our life or not making them specific and measurable. In order to get the best out of our goals, we must know the best way to set these goals.

There is a SMART criteria for writing goals and this stands for: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. We must define our goals in specific terms and understand why our goal is important. Our goals should be realistic and measurable so that it is clear when we have reached the goal. It is important for our goal to be relevant and align with our current dreams and values. Last but not least, there should be a specific timeframe for our goals so that we are committed and have a sense of urgency. Saying our goals out loud is a great start, but it is very important for us to write down our goals. A study was done at Dominican University that shows you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if they are written down.

In the beginning, it can be difficult to set goals due to various reasons and we may face some obstacles on the way of achieving them. The process of setting goals can come with the feeling of being pressured or the fear of not achieving our goals. We might have uncertainty when it comes to what we want in life and we must take time to self-reflect for what we really need. The fear of failure can lead us to avoiding self growth and chasing our dreams. Remember that failure or being bad at something is the only way we can learn and improve. It’s important to change our perspective on failure and see it as a learning opportunity. We must be comfortable in the uncomfortable to continue our path to success. I want you to remember that there is only one person who is holding you back from achieving your goals and that is you. We musn’t let our self limiting beliefs hold us back from being happy and achieving our life goals. We are responsible for our actions and leading ourselves to victory.

There is truly magic within setting goals and they ultimately lead us to success and greater mental health. While the starting process of setting goals can be difficult, it gets easier and there are multiple benefits that come with them. When we have a clear direction on where we want our life to lead, it provides us focus and direction. This alleviates the pressures of getting sidetracked and allows us to properly use our time and resources efficiently. Having goals gives us reasons to strive for greatness and increases motivation. If you know exactly what you are aiming for, you can hold yourself accountable and have the ability to create a strategic plan. Having these goals makes it easier for us to celebrate our accomplishments along the way. Reaching these milestones improves how you see yourself as a person and increases your happiness and self-worth.

While creating your new goals, I highly recommend evaluating all areas of your life and see what you would like to improve, think of ways to achieve improvement in these areas, and set some defined goals with a timeline. These goals can include your career, finances, education, health, well being, and so on. In order not to get overwhelmed, I would recommend starting with some smaller goals and working your way up. Always remember that the world is your oyster and anything you put your heart to, you can achieve. When we are working on our goals, it is important not to be too focused on the outcome but the process itself. We must focus on the day-to-day actions needed to attain our goals. Sometimes the outcome that we receive is completely out of our hands and that is okay. Achieving our goals requires hard work and may not always be easy. We will face some setbacks along the way, but this makes us stronger.

The importance of having goals and chasing our dreams can’t be understated. They help us take control of our lives, give us clarity, and improve who we are as individuals. Exploring the importance of goal setting, we have learned that it benefits us by providing resilience, boosted confidence, and enhanced focus. Not only does it help us celebrate our victories and achievements, but it makes victory feel so much closer. On your personal goal setting journey, I encourage you to dream big and never underestimate yourself. You can do the unimaginable and I believe in you. It is time to believe in yourself and know that success is not an accident. Everything you achieve is due to your diligence, commitment, and hard work.