Setting Goals Is Setting Yourself Up For Success

Have you ever been curious as to why some of the people you graduated with achieved mind blowing success while you are still stuck in the same job as high school? It all comes down to the fact you have just been dreaming about success and they have been setting goals to get success.

Successful people have a clear understanding of what they will feel like when they reach the end of their journey. When you are focused on setting goals you can answer the questions of who, what, where, when and why for every goal you have written down. Ask a goalless person why they are doing what they are choosing to do in that moment and they will actually pause, think and then answer they are not sure. Successful people don’t do that.

I would ask if you do not know why you are doing what you are doing right now then why exactly are you doing it. Powerful goals allow you to check where you are at in your progress and whether or not the decisions you are making are supporting or destroying your dreams. They keep you on track and clearly indicate when you need to try harder and when you can celebrate. Goals lay out whether or not you are meeting the expectations you have for yourself and those are the only expectations that matter.

Goal setting allows you to be proactive in life and not just reacting to what happens to you. Instead of looking for the job of your dreams after you lost the one you hate you would have been proactively seeking out your dream job and controlled what happened to you. This sense of control is great for building confidence.

Being proactive like this also sets you up to plan your goals with a higher rate of success. You can outline possible challenges and roadblocks as well as the solutions to these possible situations. You can confidently pursue your goals knowing you are prepared to handle anything that may try to impede your progress.

Just writing your goals down will not magically produce results. You need to have a positive outlook, believe in yourself and have self-discipline. Without perseverance and a relentless commitment to achieve your goals all the paper and planning in the world will not create results.

To be successful in goal setting, the goals that you set for yourself should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. This encompasses the S.M.A.R.T. goals you most likely have read about which are all very important.

I always make sure to include an “I” in my goal setting to represent intrinsic motivation which is the internal desire you feel to complete your goals. I feel this is one of the most important parts of goal setting. If you are trying to set goals to achieve the dreams others have for you it leads to an empty and unfulfilling life.

Start setting goals for yourself today in any area of life you want to create change in. Whether it is in your love life, career or personal finances, goals will give you everything you want. Each time you achieve a goal take a moment to give yourself a pat on the back but do not stop there. Set more goals and keep growing.