Without goals, our lives would be meaningless. Every forward-thinking person would want to set aims for themselves, something that they look forward to achieving in the near or distant future. It gives us a sense of meaning and purpose, points us in the direction we want to go and gets us interested and engaged. However, it is one thing to set goals, and another to achieve them. What can you do in order to note your aims and reach them?
Identify Your Goals
Write down as many ideas as possible. Writing down our goals increases our chances of sticking with them. Write down how you will know you have reached your objectives and when you’d like to have achieved them. Evaluate your ideas. Which ones seem the most exciting? The most challenging? Which would you be especially proud of achieving? Remember, the best goals are often the ones that mean the most to you. Number your goals according to the order in which you would like to achieve them.
Plan
This is the time to plan how you intend to reach your dream. Plan the steps involved, and anticipate the obstacles you are likely to face. For example, if you want to become a doctor, what steps do you need to take? You will first have to get into medical school. What obstacle will you likely face: you’ll have to pass exams and get admission into medical school. Now you have to make a commitment. Promise yourself that you’ll do your best to reach this goal.
Act on your Plan
Start immediately. Ask yourself, What can I do today to start toward my goal? Granted, you may not have every detail worked out, but don’t let that keep you from getting started. Review your goals daily. Remind yourself why each one is important to you. Track your progress. Think ahead and imagine yourself achieving your goal. Feel a sense of accomplishment. Next, think back through the individual steps, one at a time, and visualize each of them. Finally, see yourself completing each step, and imagine how great you’ll feel when you reach your goal. The bigger the goal, the more satisfying your feeling of accomplishment on reaching it!
