Setting Goals: Why You Should Do It

A goal should scare you a little, and excite you A LOT - Joe Vitale

Have you ever asked yourself these questions?

Why am I doing what I am doing?

Am I heading in the right direction?

Do I need more time off/Am I happy/Making enough money?

I wish I knew how to properly set goals while I was in High School. I think this can be easily taught to help kids at an early age set off toward a positive path. Think of a High School basketball team in a pre-season meeting. What is their goal typically going to be? Win a conference title? Go to the state tournament? Yes, hopefully that happens, but nobody really knows. What if you lose a game? Do your goals shift? These goals need to be broken down into smaller achievements that can be measured. How many shots did we make in practice? Is there 100% attendance for weights? And finally, WHY? What is the point of creating goals if everyone doesn't know why they want to achieve them? We never chatted about this in High School, but I know we wanted to win because we grew up idolizing the older athletes that set the path for us. We wanted to achieve more than previous teams.

It really is not that hard. You can follow any step by step process found on Google. All it takes is consistent focused effort. People have bad or off days, but if you have meaningful goals written down in a visible place, this will remind you to get back on track sooner. I use goals as a guide or roadmap to where I want to be personally and professionally. I know a handful of people who write down their goals every single day, and it is no coincidence that they are either wildly successful, or on a direct path to where they want to be.

My strategy starts with three goals each in two categories (keep it simple and specific). The first being "foundational", which sets a path and creates a blueprint to where I want to be. These are broader more macro goals that have a valuable why attached. The next set of goals are "actionable", which show me how I can achieve those foundational goals. Actionable goals can be measured. (ex. Read 15 books in Q1, or how many sales you need for a specific income goal)

So what if there is a setback, twist, or you change your mind? Write in what happened and then update the goal. Sometimes because of consistently keeping goals updated I find that achieving various goals comes naturally. I know this is true because they are always on my mind, there is no other path to follow or get distracted by.

To wrap up, without goals you are just coasting through your day-to-day routine. This can be seen very early in an athlete's career or with adults in all fields. Write your goals down, and voice them to your circle of friends and family. Go out and get what you want! Achieve things greater than you could have ever imagined! If you're happy where you're at, then create goals to help others out. That state championship trophy or dream job is closer than you think. Have a wonderful week/end...cheers everyone.