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What Are Goals?
Goals are simply the things you want to do in life, and by writing them down you can clarify exactly what you want and how you are going to accomplish them.
A lot of people like to learn how to be successful.
They read books, listen to audio cassettes or even watch videos that tell them how to be successful in life. However most people fail to apply that knowledge, and as a result a lot of what they learn is ultimately wasted.
To be successful in goal setting, the goals that one has set for himself should be realistic and based on his capabilities, as well as selected and important external factors. Being too ambitious in setting up goals can make the goals unrealistic and difficult to achieve.
However, do not also set goals that are too low because this might discourage ones vision instead of achieving it. I know I am guilty of this myself. I once learnt about the importance of setting personal goals, but never applied that knowledge.
For some reason I studied it, became interested in it, but took it no further.
But later I then heard an expression that changed the way I looked at and ultimately used information I acquired.
When setting goals, it is always important to set standards that would suit your present situation, your capabilities, and other factors that may influence the achievement of your goal.
So take some time to think about the things you want to accomplish in life. Write them down on a piece of paper, and create a plan as to how you will achieve those goals. It might just be the most important and valuable exercise you ever do.
Setting goals will enable people to track their progress in whatever endeavor they have set out to do. It will help people become more confident in themselves and more motivated to achieve their plans.
That expression was, whats the pointing of learning something, if you never use it. As soon as I heard that saying, I realized that I had been learning lots of things, but never applying them in my life. Learning how to set goals, was one of those things.
Ever wonder why some people could not even achieve an inch of what they dream of becoming? Blame it on pure dreaming and lack of setting goals for achieving their dreams.
By setting goals, people will know how they are doing and what they should be doing to achieve their targets or dreams in life. They will know if they can relax or if they have to double their efforts when they are falling short of what is expected of them.
This is the real value of goals, as they help to give your life meaning, direction and a sense of purpose. With these things will also come a sense of control, which will also make you feel happier with yourself. You will be steering your life in the direction you want it to go, rather than being blown around like a leaf in the wind.
Once you have achieved something, even a little of what you hoped to achieve, then you should always give yourself a pat in the back to keep you motivated. But do not be too complacent with any little achievement, as this may cause you to backslide.
Personal Goals Will Focus The Mind
Most people have a vague idea of what they want to achieve in life, and keep these vague ideas in their head. However, because they are vague ideas the action they take to accomplish those goals is also vague. And as a result, usually ineffective.
Goal setting means a person is proactive in dealing with challenges that may affect his plans. Being proactive means one is able to outline possible difficulties that may occur as well as the solutions to these difficulties.
By doing this, a person is not easily scared or defeated when challenges occur because he has already prepared for them. He knows they can happen and he has prepared a solution or strategy when that time comes.
Its like giving yourself a map and compass to reach a certain destination in life. Without that map and compass you would most likely loose your way, and never get to where you want to go.
Setting goals is a very significant part of success and positive accomplishments. It is like scaling a 20 feet building and marking early on what feet you would like to reach at this specific period.
It is also necessary that the person setting the blueprint for his direction should also include a time frame within which the goal will be achieved. This way, he is able to determine if he has to fast track his strategies or to slow down a bit. Goal setting will also help a person check if he is performing within his plans or if he is doing things towards the achievement of his plans.
So writing down goals on a piece of paper allows you to decide exactly what you want to do in life. Once you know what you want to do, you can then create a specific plan of action to accomplish those goals.
Setting goals can be used in any aspect of ones life from ones personal or family life, to his career and finances. Goal setting can be as simple as setting a target weight when you wish to lose pounds or something big, like earning your first million.
People who set goals literally create a map of their target achievements in life, marking where they should begin, where to pause, where to delve a bit, and where and when to stop.
Once this map is created, it allows the map drawer to check where he is in the scheme of things and whether or not he is making some achievements that will take him closer to his goals.
However, goal setting is not enough, as this should be accompanied by a positive outlook and self-discipline. A person may have a blueprint of where he wants to go, but if he does not have the necessary discipline to carry out the plan, then nothing will come out of it.
So Why Is Goal Setting Important Anyway?
Taking the time to sit down and write out your personal goals is perhaps one of the most important things you can do for yourself. And incidentally, all successful people set themselves goals. That in itself should be a big enough reason to set them!