Goals are the things that move our lives forward; they are what give us the reasons to keep pushing through, even when times are tough. Knowing that we are close to reaching our next goal is something that can bring happiness and pleasure, and something that can stop us from quitting altogether. Everything we do should be part of a major life goal, helping us to take the next step towards where we can to be. But if this is the case, why not just keep plugging on towards that big life goal and keep that in mind at all times?
It’s because this can be too overwhelming. That goal will be a huge one, something that will have many challenges and successes (and some failures) associated with it. If that is what we concentrate on, it’s likely that we will have to stop because it all becomes too much. Setting smaller goals to help us on our journey is a much easier way to ensure that we reach our ultimate goal in the end. Here are some other reasons why setting goals arenecessary for a successful life.
You Will Have Focus
If you are heading towards something for a specific reason, you will be focusedon getting there. If you just set out with nowhere particular to go, you can easily be sidetracked, get lost, end up arriving late or not at all. You might be distracted and lose sight of what it was you wanted in the first place. All of this means that your ultimate goal won’t be achieved, or at least not as quickly as you may have originally planned. You need an aim and a purpose for everything you do, and that is what goal setting is all about.
Having the potential to do well is not enough; you need to have the goal in mind as well. These two things combined are what make people successes. Goals give you your ultimate direction in life and therefore make decisions much easier, everything should point towards the direction you’re heading in. If you don’t know what direction that is, life can become a lot harder.
You Can See How Far You Have Come
If you have set goals that you are reaching and succeeding in, you can look back at your journey and easily see how far you have come. You can understand what was difficult and what was easier, and when you stumbled but came back fighting, ready to keep moving towards your next goal. It is extremely important. If you lose track of where you are and how far you have come, your passion for what you are doing may start to dwindle because it could feel as though you haven’t achieved much, or you still have a long way to go. Knowing exactlywhat you have done makes all the difference because rather than being disheartened that you haven’t done much, you can think about the progress you have made instead.
You Will Be Accountable To Yourself
Having a vague idea of where you want to be and what you want to do,will leave you open to all kinds of excuses. You’ll tell yourself that you can start tomorrow, or next week, or in the summer, or during the winter, and in the meantime, you will continue doing what you have always done. Having specific, measurable goals that have a deadline associated with them means that you need to start right away, and if you don’t,you’ll have to be accountable to yourself. Take smoking, for example. If you want to quit smoking, you may have told yourself all the reasons why it’s a bad habit and horribly unhealthy. However, without a goal in mindand a date by which you want to have quit, you’ll find it much harder to get started. Break the task down into smaller goals, starting with cutting down on how much you smoke, or buying a Vapeberri starter kit so that you smoke e-cigarettes rather than real ones, andit becomes much easier. You will still be accountable for your ownactions, only this time, with proper focus and determination, you can be pleased with yourself.
You Won’t Procrastinate
Procrastination means you put off starting (or completing) a task; there can be many reasons why this happens, and it can be a difficult habit for people to get over. However, with a specific, attainable goal in mind, procrastination becomes much less problematic. Having short term goals and deadlines is what spurs us on, and longer term goals means that procrastination is much more likely. After all, if you know you don’t have to get something finished until six months’ time, you may well put off starting the task, or take your time over it, stopping because you’re distracted throughout.If you have a week, you’ll get started right away and not allow yourself to lose focus. Thisis why smaller, short term goals are so important.
You’ll Be Motivated
Motivation is a powerful thing; it will help you do everything you need to doand to keep going until you have achieved your goals. Goals and motivation work hand in hand; having a series of smaller goals will help you to stay motivated, and the more motivated you are, the quicker you will work through those goals – there is no downside.
In order to reach your ultimate goal, no matter what it is, you should try to be as motivated as possible throughout the process. It will sometimes be hard, there will be times when your confidence in your ownabilities will be shaken, but every time you reach a goal, you will feel even more motivated to reach the next one, and that means you are much more likely to succeed.
The goals you set are the tools you need to focus onyourself, keep motivated, stay positive, and make your life exactly how you want it to be. That’s why it’s so important to have them, stick to them, and achieve them.