When it comes to achieving things in your life, one of the easiest ways to get to where you want to be is to set goals.
Now don’t let the first line of this article put you off. We know that even the word ‘goal’ has scary connotations. We say this teensy little word and we immediately think of hard work, misery and the possible disappointment when things don’t turn out the way we had hoped.
We’re used to associating the word ‘goal’ with uncomfortable things – like the leaving cert or a particularly nerve-wracking job interview. Exhibit A: where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? Twenty years?
Shudder. Weep. Shudder.
Just think of all the times you were left searching your mind for answers to the above questions in a job-interview-type situation. Oh the awkward silence. Mortifying.
We all know that thinking about your future life can be so overwhelming, especially if you feel like you’re on super shaky-ground in the present tense.
So why should you set goals anyway? What’s the point of them? Aside from scaring you into thinking about your future, just what can these pesky things actually do FOR you?
Well, the secret behind every successful woman is an arsenal of active goals (and a pair of fabulous shoes).
Goals are super important for the following reasons:
Goals inspire you: What’s life without a bit of inspiration? Inspiration is the main ingredient that propels you forward with your life. Inspiration makes you want to achieve better things for yourself and to be the best that you can possibly be. Imagine a life without this little bit of magic? How dull would it be?
Goals keep you on track: Simply put, goals are your life plan. They help you to see where you’ve come from, where you’re going and where you want to be. If you find yourself deviating away from the dream life that you want to live, goals are the force that can pull you back to the right path.
Goals motivate you: When life gets tough, goals help you to keep going. They light a fire inside you (metaphorically, not literally!) and this fire spurs you into action.
Goals give you clarity: They show you that you can do, have or be anything you want and that all it takes is a little creativity and hard work. They show you that in order to get to ‘X,Y,Z’ first you have to do ‘A, B, C.’
Goals thrill you: There’s no point in setting a goal if it doesn’t excite you. There’s an old saying that goes along the lines of: “If your dreams don’t scare you slightly, then you’re not dreaming big enough” and that is so true when it comes to setting goals for yourself.
Dare to dream. Dream big. Dream boldly. Your goals should make your heart sing and thrill you to your core. They should make you go ‘woah’ and inspire you. If they don’t, then it’s time to ditch them. A boring goal is always harder to achieve. Don’t sell yourself short, look for the ones that make your heart race.
Goals can change your life: Once you set a goal, you sort of make a pact with yourself and with the universe that you will, eventually, achieve them. If you stick to your goals and work passionately on them, you will be surprised at everything that you go on to achieve.
If you started work on your goals today, imagine where you would be by this time next year. It sort of blows your mind a little when you think of the life you could be living, right? Well, said life is already there – it’s just waiting for you to catch up. So, lady, what are you waiting for?
Are you inspired? Are you ready? In the next article we’ll look at just how you can go about setting those goals so you can get started on turning your dreams into a reality.
