Goal setting is a powerful process for visualizing your ideal future, motivating yourself to transform dreams into reality, and creating a life that you’re both proud of and fulfilled by. Most importantly, it provides you with a direction to move forward in. Onward and upward, as they say!
Here a few key reasons behind the importance of goal setting in everyday life.
The Value of Goal Setting
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Provides Direction: If it weren’t for goals, we wouldn’t have a destination or an endpoint worth working toward. Goals help guide you to where you ultimately want to be, so that you’re not aimlessly navigating life with no final destination. Direction, or at least having an idea of what you want your life to look like, in turn will…
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Provide Focus: Having a clear, compelling goal mobilizes your focus toward actionable behavior. If you take the time to think about what is most important to you, your goals will naturally center around these pillars. Rather than merely existing, you will begin to consciously focus your everyday on things that are sacred to you and will enrich your life.
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Provides Purpose: People need a sense of purpose in their lives, and goals can help you identify a deeper meaning. The process of goal setting in itself is intrinsically introspective, meaning it forces you to take a deep, hard look at your current life and where you want it to go. With concrete goals in mind, you’ll wake up with a purpose, a plan of action and a reason to act.
Effective Goal Setting
If you’re looking to begin the goal setting process, using the SMART mnemonic is a tried-and-true method for effective personal goal setting. SMART typically stands for:
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S – Specific: Well defined, clear, and unambiguous
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M – Measurable: Has criteria for measuring/indicating progress
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A – Achievable: Attainable and not impossible to achieve
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R – Relevant: Within reach, realistic, and relevant to your life purpose
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T – Time-bound: With a clearly defined timeline, including a starting date and a target date. The purpose is to create urgency
Without making your dreams specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely, you only have a vague goal in mind with no roadmap on how to get there. Begin rephrasing your visions as concrete, SMART goals that will put the framework in place for achievement.