To grow and achieve what we want in life, we need a purpose and direction. Goals can give us both: a sense of motivation, and a path to follow to create success. In addition, a goal also provides us with a benchmark which supports us to determine if we are actually achieving what we want.
However, setting effective goals is not always a straightforward process. If you have been struggling with setting and achieving goals in your life, here are a few things to consider:
Know what YOU want
Are your goals based on what you want for yourself? All too often we set goals that are not truly our own, but reflective of what we believe society (or our friends, or family, or coworkers) expect from us.
An effective goal should align with our purpose and values, developing a strong connection with what is really important to us: the things that give us energy and what we feel passionate about.
Recognising the goal is truly connected with what you deeply identify with can potentially mean you will deliver beyond the success of your original goal.
So, spend some time in self-reflection and examine the motivation behind the goal you are setting for yourself. Will achieving that goal truly energise you? Is it really what you want for yourself? Does it resonate with your personal values?
Make your goal challenging
Our goals should support us to stretch, and to move out of our comfort zone. Because it is only when we step out of our comfort zone that we begin to grow and change and become the person we are destined and want to be.
Once we get into the habit of challenging and stretching our self outside of our comfort zone, the mind and body often responds well to a challenge and potentially seeks more of what we are striving for.
So it's important to make sure the goal is supporting your expansion of current experiences. At the same time, you have to make sure your goal doesn’t stretch you too far, too soon because this can be demotivating or seem overwhelming and unattainable. It’s important to make sure your goals are manageable.
One way to do this is to set a series of short terms goals which ultimately support you to reach your long-term goal. Smaller, short-term goals act as stepping-stones towards the bigger, long-term desired target. This allows you to focus on achieving the next short-term goal, and then the next, and so on, providing a much better opportunity for success.
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