Time to Set goals.

Goal setting is a process, a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future. Goal setting energizes you like nothing else because when you set goals you know the purpose of your life and that purpose motivates you to go beyond dreaming. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. Setting goals helps you to think about what you want to achieve in life, and most importantly setting goals increases confidence, develops your competence level and boosts your level of motivation.

Why set goals?

All successful people are intensely goal oriented. They know what they want and so every single day, they are focused single mindedly on achieving it. Top level athletes, successful business people and achievers in all fields, set goals. Just think, why do successful people set goals? According to me, setting goals gives them a long term vision and a short term mission, and this is the only reason we often get to see the words ‘vision’ and ‘mission’ in many offices and business areas. Remember, vision and mission allows you to see the bigger picture of your life. Mission pushes you forward towards your goal and it inspires you with an intensity of desire that you don’t normally possess.
There are people who live without goals. Simply, a goal-less life! They live without a sense of purpose or mission, and no doubt their life is full of chaos and despair. Their attention is always being shifted, and their thoughts are continuously scattered. Their activities and accomplishments are meaningless.
If you don’t really have goals, stop! Have one. It is never too late. Because, when you have goals in your life, you’ll find your career accelerating. Setting goals is as important as surviving and when you set goals you fly like an arrow, straight and true to your target.

How do we set goals?

Set your lifetime goals first and when you set goals make sure that they motivate you which means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. Think what you want from life and then set formal goals, and when you set formal goals, you’ll also quickly spot the distractions that can so easily lead you astray. Be clear about what you want to accomplish. Your goals should always be tough enough to challenge you but not so daunting that it squashes you.

Here are few questions which might help you to discover your goals:

Try answering them !

• What is your deepest desire?
• What do you feel most passionate about?
• What idea never leaves you?
• What would bring you the greatest fulfillment?
• What is the most important thing you wish to do in your lifetime?

When you set goals, the very first step is to have a long-term goal and then short-term goals. How to set a long-term goal? Imagine where you’d like to see yourself after 10 years or may be after 20 years. You might dream to become the chairperson of a company or a successful business man. That’s it.Note it down. Make sure that the goals that you have set are ones that you genuinely want to achieve, not ones that your parents, family, or friends might want. This is important. Never let others to set your goal. Most importantly, set goals that you can achieve.

Once you have set your long-term goal, set a five year plan of smaller goals that you need to complete which will help you attain your lifetime goal. Further, create a one year plan, followed by a six month plan, and then a one month plan. Then create a daily To-Do list of things that you should do today in order to achieve your long-term goal. You can even make a list of your goals and rate them, according to priority.Lastly,work your way through the list, one at a time. For example, your goal might be to work as a nature photographer in Africa one year from now. Set goals that have a clear sense of purpose and work towards it. Most importantly, know what you want to achieve in your life, this will help you in concentrating on your efforts. Make sure you set goals that match your values and if you pursue goals that don’t match your values, they’ll drain you of mental and emotional energy and you’ll be left thinking “Is this all I wanted?” Sooner or later, your system will break down physically, mentally, emotionally. Give yourself a value check every now and then.
Finally review your plans, and make sure that they fit the way in which you want to live your life.

Wisely setting goals leads to better results:
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit”
– Proverbs 21: 5