The thing about goals is that living without them is a lot more fun, in the short run. It seems to me, though, that the people who get things done, who lead, who grow and who make an impact … those people have goals. —Seth Godin
At this time when many of us are working remotely from home, it’s incredibly vital to set ourselves goals to work towards. However big or small, every step we take towards fulfilling our goals will bring us a sense of personal achievement. This goes a long way to feeling more empowered, and to building not only our motivation but our resilience as well.
Goal setting is a positive way to get something done. We all have specific work goals and targets we need to aim for. Focusing on the steps we need to take and acknowledging each stage we take towards attaining these goals, gives us a real sense of accomplishment. More than this however, by setting our own goals during this period of uncertainty, we are actively choosing to accomplish something that is intrinsically meaningful to us as individuals. This is a powerful and effective way to achieve success on a personal level, providing meaning and purpose to what we do.
5 Key Reasons for setting Goals
- Goals encourage us to be specific
Being clear about the end result we wish to accomplish helps us to avoid going off target. We are more effective when our goals are specific: we have a clear vision of what we want to achieve and are ultimately more productive in the steps we take to get there.
- Goals give focus
They allow us to identify what is important to us. They provide direction, enabling us to align our actions and behaviours so that we progress forwards rather than wandering aimlessly away from our path. Setting a viable time limit helps us to focus more effectively.
- Goals help us to measure progress
With a clearly defined endpoint, it is possible to monitor and measure our progress, keeping ourselves accountable to the different stages of realising a particular goal. Large goals can be broken down to smaller, achievable ones that encourage us to keep moving forward.
- Goals save us time
Having clearly established goals allow us to prioritise and organise our work (and our lives), better. Sticking to our course of direction stops us wasting time and provides the direction we need to see things through to the end.
- Goals enable us to celebrate the milestones along the way
Breaking down our goals into smaller chunks, make the long-term goals appear more achievable. Applauding and celebrating each step along the way, helps to reinforce the strength of our vision and provides motivation. These smaller successes give us the confidence to keep moving forward.
When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps – Confucius
As long as a goal has a purpose then even small ones can encourage, motivate and drive us onwards towards success. Goals enable us to achieve things in both our personal and business lives. They empower us to realise our dreams. Tracking our objectives, milestones and goals along the way ensures they always stay at the forefront of our minds. We then know the progress we are making which helps us to stay the course while remaining engaged within the process.