Maya Advises: Five reasons why is setting up goals important
This week Maya will guide us by giving us Five Reasons why is setting up goals important.
Setting goals can be daunting for many.
People have goals – we all have something to aim for. Yet few of us set goals. The reason is that it’s too much pressure and stress for some people to push themselves harder.
Their argument is: I know where I am going. Therefore, I don’t need to waste my time and write those goals down.
People I know who have this mentality don’t achieve anything crucial most of the time. Day after day, they repeat the same behaviour patterns without experiencing the pleasure of accomplishment.
Unwritten goals are nothing more than wishes.
Setting up goals is not just about achieving success. It is about bringing order to your life. It is also about reducing anxiety. Getting clear on what you want will relieve so many of your challenges.
Everyone says they want to be happy. However, they are silent in response to my question: “What are you looking for? What will make you happy?”. Many people cannot verbalize and describe what is the thing they want?
You’ll never get it when you don’t know what you want.
I will explain through examples why setting up your goals is essential:
Having goals gives you direction
Doing nothing about what you want to achieve will not get you anywhere. Additionally, working 15 hours a day at home and at work will only lead to burnout. Setting goals will help you to stay focused. If you want to maintain your current lifestyle, you cannot accomplish everything in a day. You cannot also handle 50 goals at once.
Buffett said in a video: I tell my managers to make a list of 20 goals that matter to them. What are the five most important ones? Then I ask them to write off the rest 15 goals.
The bottom line is that your professional and personal lives do not have to be all about doing. It would be best if you had a direction.
Focus keeps you on track
We, as humans, tend to procrastinate. Biologically, we prefer to do easy things. Whenever I decide to exercise and eat less, my brain comes up with an excuse: you are tired, worked so hard, and deserve ice cream. Tomorrow is another day.
We are all guilty of this.
The little everyday steps will take me to my desired results when I have my goals in front of me.
Procrastination wastes time. We have a limited amount of time available.
Your goals determine your progress
It is precious when you know whether you are moving forward or not. This is possibly one of the main reasons people avoid setting goals. They fear failure.
If you aim for something and don’t achieve it by the time you want it, it can be discouraging. However, moving forward without a clear goal is even more discouraging. Even if you do a lot, you will think you have accomplished nothing because how can you know when you are already there?
As an example, I set up my goals for the year and divided them into monthly goals. In February, I did not achieve half of my goals.
In terms of setting goals and getting results, I failed. Truth be told, it was painful. However, taking responsibility for your own life is not about blaming yourself or criticizing yourself. Instead, it’s about identifying your weaknesses and improving them. If I ignore what happened in February, how can I figure out what I had to improve in March?
Goals will motivate you
Even on days with low energy and low motivation, people with goals and purpose are much more motivated to do the actions around those goals.
Here is how I keep myself motivated.
I write down or read my goals to remind myself what I’m striving for, reminding myself what I want, how I prefer to feel, and what I want to have. I think about places I’ll visit, people I’ll meet, things I’ll do for others, and things that will come to me. It would be impossible for me to maintain motivation without setting clear goals.
Goals make life more enjoyable
I heard Cathy Heller say: Happiness is not the opposite of depression. The opposite of depression is purpose.
You feel happier, more fulfilled, confident, and capable when you have a goal and work towards it. You anticipate great results and feel hopeful.
Setting goals is a skill you can learn. Every person sets goals differently. Explore how to set up goals and choose the right one for you.
More about setting goals in Maya’s next advice column
If you need some advice and are willing to work on yourself some more, get to know Maya better.
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Photo by Ronnie Overgoor on Unsplash
