The Importance of Setting Goals
It is very easy to wander through life without goals and never realise until it is too late. It is so often that people feel that their dreams and aspirations are too far away, too big or too outrageous to accomplish. We convince ourselves that we are happy with our day-to-day lives, that we are “playing the cards we have been dealt”. We let ourselves indulge in our fantasies from time to time, maybe late at night when we are trying to sleep or in the car on the way to work. But we view them as just that – fantasies. Why?
We fear failure.
It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default.
J. K. Rowling
Without big goals, many of the world’s greatest accomplishments would never have happened. What if Usain Bolt had decided never to try running faster? What if NASA decided the moon was too far to land on? What if Watson and Crick decided not to challenge their scientific knowledge and discover DNA? All of these people set big goals. They dug deep, put in the effort, ignored the doubters and they persevered until their goal became an achievement.
A goal is a personal thing. What may seem laughable to someone else – might not to you. What might seem unthinkable, impossible, ridiculous to everyone else? Remember this…
It is irrelevant what anyone else thinks.
If you want it – you get up and you go and get it. A goal symbolises so much more than a finish line. A goal is a desire, a dream, a hope, an aspiration, a purpose. A driving force that pushes you to be better, stronger, faster. A personal goal is a personal mission. No goal is ever too big – as long as you are realistic with your timescales.
The key to success with hitting a target is knowing your capabilities and being realistic with how much time you have to work with. Understanding what holds you back, knocks you off course or propels you forwards is also important. Knowing your own mind will only help you take positive steps forwards towards your goals. For example, knowing that eating one biscuit will cause you to eat the pack when you are working towards a certain weight loss. That knowledge is power. Use it wisely. Don’t buy the biscuits so you avoid the temptation that will hold you back from your goals. Recognition of emotions and being proactive in how you handle them is essential for success.
So what are you waiting for. Decide on a goal. Don’t be that person that shies away from your dreams. Don’t be that person that wanders through life with no direction. Don’t be the person that half heartedly starts something but never sees it through.
What do you want?
