5 reasons you should be setting goals and how to set goals you actually want to achieve

What was the last goal that you set yourself? A New Year’s resolution? Maybe it was together with your boss in a performance appraisal. Maybe you’re an entrepreneur and you have set goals for your company. Either way you most likely set a goal because you wanted to make changes to your life. Often, when we set ourselves goals we still end up feeling like we are drifting, working hard but don’t really seem to be getting anywhere.

A big reason why people end up in this situation is that they haven’t spent much time thinking about what they really want to achieve. You might have set yourself goals, but if they aren’t aligned with your true desires and values, you won’t have the motivation to reach them.

In this article I will share what I think are the main reasons why you should be setting goals and how to make sure they are goals you actually want to achieve.

Check out my post about conducting a personal self audit if you want to get specific on what you actually want to achieve

The 5 main reasons you should be setting goals.

1. Setting goals will give you something to focus on.

This sounds pretty obvious but I mean it, when you have set yourself a goal and it is truly in line with your desires, your brain can’t help but think of new ways to achieve it. In this way your goals will provide your motivation not the other way round. When you set a goal because you are motivated in the present, there’s less chance you will succeed. If it’s the goal itself that provides the motivation, it will drive you through the will-power phase into forming habits that sustain your progress.

2. Setting goals will help you create positive habits.

One of the biggest mistakes in setting goals is underestimating the time it will take to achieve them. Stop me if this sounds familiar; you’ve decided on your next goal, you’re super motivated and you go at it like a crazy person. Pretty soon you lose will-power and decide to give up. In order to build a habit you cannot rely solely on will-power. Will-power is temporary. By setting yourself a goal and being realistic about the timing, you will have something to focus on and you will give yourself time to create the routine that you need to reach it.

3. Setting goals will give you clarity in making decisions.

Whenever you’re faced with a decision, simply ask yourself “will this decision help me to reach my goal?”. Slow down, I mean it, take some time to really think about the answer, meditate on it. Slowing down will help you by giving you time to reflect and think logically without reacting to your emotions. However, it has to be said; taking too long and over-thinking decisions is procrastination. In the end a decision is just a decision and if it doesn’t work out the way you want, just make another decision and move on.

4. Setting goals and breaking them down into steps will prevent you from getting overwhelmed.

Overwhelm is a gut-punch of an emotion and can quickly lead to feeling helpless and the inevitable procrastination that comes with it. We feel overwhelmed because we’re faced with a task that seems impossible and we don’t know where to start. To deal with it, simply break down your goal into mini-goals, write them down in a list of priority, and tackle them one by one. This will help put things in perspective and make your overall goal seem more achievable.

5. Setting goals and reaching them will build faith in yourself and your capabilities.

Having goals isn’t just about making a plan and following it. Having goals that are in-line with our desires and values can inspire us to overcome self-doubt and limiting beliefs, and do things we never thought possible. Do you have something you always wanted to accomplish but never did because you didn’t think it was achievable? Unless you make it a goal for yourself and outline a plan to reach it, you will always be stuck with that belief that it’s just not possible. If you envision yourself making progress towards that goal, you can build true faith, and in turn, you will learn the things you need to learn in order to reach it.

How to set goals you actually want to achieve.

Set goals that push you out of your comfort zone.

When you think about a goal that you have set yourself. Pay attention to how you feel when you think about it. Slow down and allow yourself to really feel those emotions. Your goal should be causing you to grow, pushing you out of your comfort zone. When you do that you feel nervous, excited or even afraid. If that’s the case then you’re probably on the right track. If you’re feeling indifferent, dig a little deeper, perhaps this isn’t the right goal for you after all.

Set goals that you can actually achieve

For most people, the demotivating effect of their fear of failure is stronger than the motivating effect of the desire to achieve a goal. While it’s important to slow down and recognise your fear, you also need to remember that facing fear is what makes you grow. That being said, as I mentioned above, the feeling of overwhelm can be a massive cause for procrastination. So, break your goal down into bite-sized chunks and you will find that, rather than feeling overwhelmed ans stressed, you feel excited to get started.

Set goals that you will enjoy pursuing

I don’t just mean planning every step along the road to your goal. I mean, think about what you want to experience along the journey. It’s common when we feel dissatisfied in life, to think that reaching a specific goal will make everything alright. Instead of focussing on the end-point, ask yourself;

What do I really want to learn?

Who do I really want to spend my time with?

How do I really want to spend that time?

If you set a goal that leads you along this path, you’ll be getting fulfilment long before you even reach it.

Set goals that aren’t set in stone.

As I said earlier in the article, we set ourselves goals because we want to change our lives, but the fact is there is so much in life that we have no control over. It’s important to stay flexible in your goals, if the situation changes, if you change, or if you just feel that you need to change direction, change your goals.

A final note on achieving your goals.

This might actually be the most important point of all so pay attention for just another minute. So often we’re absorbed in the journey and we don’t even realise how much we are growing and changing. So, when you achieve a goal, take some time to feel satisfied, be proud of yourself, think back to who you were when you set your goal and who you are now. Give yourself a reward. This is how you develop the self confidence I talked about in point 5.

Then, after basking in your glory, take some time to reflect and ask yourself the following questions.

How hard was it to achieve the goal? If it was easier than you expected perhaps you can set yourself a more challenging goal next time. If it was harder or took longer, make it easier or give yourself a longer deadline.
Did I notice any skills or knowledge that were lacking? Is this something I would like to develop? If so make a new goal to get the training that you need.
What problems came up that I failed to anticipate before I set out? If these problems could arise again in future, how could you prepare yourself to handle them?

I hope that you have found some insight here for setting your own goals. I’m really interested to hear what your own experiences of goal setting. Reach out through the comments section and let me know.