How to Set Meaningful Goals
/Do you ever wonder why some people reach their goals easily while you feel like you can never accomplish yours?
This feeling is frustrating, but you're not alone. The problem isn't that you can't reach your goals, but it's the way that you've built your goals. Working towards goals, whether big or small, is part of living a fulfilling and happier life.
Goals give us a sense of purpose and direction. There's no way around it. You must set goals! How will you know which steps to take to get what you want if you don't even know what you want first!
As I said previously, the way you set your goals might be holding you back from achieving them. Instead of asking yourself, "What do I want?" try to figure out what will bring you joy at a deep level.
To do this, you should figure out your why.
Ask yourself
Why is this important to me?
Why is this something I want to accomplish?
Without a lot of thought, you might think that you want to have more money or that you want more success. But if you thoughtfully take time to answer, you'll find out your genuine why.
You want to have more money. Why? Because you want to be able to provide for your family. Why? Because you want to spend more time with them and less time at work. Why? Because the people you love most are the most important to you.
In this scenario, wanting money isn't your true desire. Your true why for wanting a better income is to spend more time with your family.
The next step to create a meaningful goal is to have a vision. Your vision is what you're actively trying to reach. Ask yourself:
What does success look like?
What needs to happen for me to succeed at this goal?
If you had an Instagram account with meditation tips for busy parents, your vision could be creating a space for them to improve their mental health.
After you've created a vision, decide on a clear mission for your goal. A mission is a little different from a vision. It is the impact you want to make on a larger scale. So, a vision would be something like selling handmade sustainable clothing. The mission behind this could be to reduce the amount of waste create and damage done to the environment by fast fashion.
Your mission should be specific and relate to your overall end goal. It should extend to a bigger picture and make a positive change in others' lives.
Once you've decided on your vision and mission, it's time to break down your goal. This is a crucial step for following through with your goal. Break down your goal into mini ones that act as stepping stones along the way to your big accomplishment. If we go back to the sustainable clothing example, a mini-goal would be selling fifteen items in two weeks.
Having several small goals makes a big one less daunting and is easier to accomplish. These small victories will give you a sense of success and push you to stay on the path towards your bigger goal.
Lastly, make sure to celebrate! Setting goals means nothing without any progress. So make sure to measure your results while refining your approach and your goals along the way. If you reach your goal quicker than expected, make your next one more challenging. If you never hit your goal, try a new strategy and create a more realistic goal.
Most importantly, enjoy that feeling of success and look at how far you've made it when crushing your goal!
