Goals

Today I thought I would write about goals, since the new year is approaching fast. This time of year people start thinking of things they want to do the next year, and usually end up not doing them. This of course begs the question of why we set goals at all. I believe that setting goals is definitely a good thing, if it is done right. People set goals like "lose weight", "work out", "quit smoking", or something of the like. We call these "new year resolutions", which means a determination to do something in the new year. Setting these resolutions is great, but we don't follow them. Why not? I believe we don't go through on our resolutions because we don't set the right goals. We say "lose weight", but we don't say how we are going to lose weight. We set goals without a plan to achieve them. Without that plan, our goals are too vague, so we generally don't follow through on them. When we set goals, they should be as specific as we can make it, so it is easiest to achieve. If you want to work out the new year, set an exercise plan giving specific days of the week in which you will do different exercises. It sounds like a lot of work, but if you do it I guarantee you will find exercising is a lot easier after you plan it out. I once decided I wanted to work out, but I never actually did until I planned out my exercises. If you want to set goals this year, make it specific and detailed. Another problem we have with goals is that we don't set goals we want to achieve. As you may have realized, I talk about what we want a lot. This is because it is so critical to how we live our life. If you really want to do something, you have to put effort into it. The more you want something, the more you will sacrifice for it. When you set goals, the same principle applies. If you really want to finish a goal, you will put more effort into it. The tricky part is finding out what goals you really want to accomplish. One good way to find out what goals you want to achieve is to look at your purpose, and set goals related to it. I cannot tell you what your purpose is, nor can anyone else. You have to find it, and once you do, your life will begin to have a perspective you didn't have before. Once you find your purpose, you will be able to set goals in accordance with it. I am not going to lie, this is much easier said than done. But once you do find out your purpose, your life will be a lot more directed and meaningful. Lastly, don't make your life about accomplishing goals. Goals are a good way to do things in life, but don't make them your entire life. Set goals, but don't freak out if you don't accomplish them. Your life is not about setting goals and reaching them. So what is your life about?
-Smart