- To make sure we are the one choosing the direction of our life — not others, not fate, not the media, etc.
- To motivate
- To make sure we get what we want from life
- To reduce stress and save time
- To give a sense of accomplishment
I know all too well that how fun it can be to just kick back and “go with the flow” of life, getting your hedonistic pleasures in where you can, but without real direction and purpose even La Dulce Vida can start to lose its luster. And when it does you may find yourself looking for destructive ways to get that dopamine rush. You may start over indulging in unhealthy foods, using drugs, watching porn and/or addicted to social media.
The other possibility is that you are busy every day with tasks, but they aren’t really YOUR goals. They may be the goals of your boss and your family, which are important as well don’t get me wrong, but without you having something to strive for that lights YOU up you may start to find life tedious and boring. Next thing you know bouts of lethargy become more common and may even lead to depression and in some cases as I mentioned above bad habits and addictions.
Goals certainly give our lives direction but they also provide the motivation to get us through difficult times and choices. Having an exciting personal goal is how someone is able to go to college at night while still working full-time or how someone can spend HOURS a day dancing so that they are perfect for opening night. Goals fuel us with energy and drive when it’s something that is important to us.
Goals are dreams with a well laid out plan and should be very personal. For some people, goals are measured in money or material goods, while for others goals are measured in time or freedom. The key is to define what you want out of life and base your goals around that or else you risk losing steam and quitting.
Goals can also help save time. When your “To Do” list becomes too long and your calendar too full, then you should start saying no to whatever is in contradiction to you achieving your goals. Your focus is your power so start ruthlessly saying no to the things that will not help you reach your goals. Down time and recreation is fine and necessary for life balance, but one can easily get caught up in the emergencies and expectations of others and end up putting what is important to them on the back burner. The tasks that will help you live the life you want is what is important, the rest should come in once those tasks have been completed.
This is the reason that goals help us save time and reduce stress because using your goals to focus your life choices makes it easier to make those choices. Should you take that new position at work? How does it match your goals?
Finally, goals give you a measurable sense of accomplishment. Every goal you achieve, in fact every step you make toward that goal, can give you a boost of energy and momentum to keep going. Each success powers you toward the next level of success.
What are your goals for 2022?!
