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5 Reasons to Set Goals If You Want to Succeed

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5 Reasons to Set Goals If You Want to Succeed

“People with goals succeed because they know where they are going.”

-Earl Nightingale

Scary thought, isn’t it? To live your life without a goal; to be told that you’ll never succeed because you don’t have a goal? I don’t remember how many times I’ve read about how important goal setting is. Every successful person out there vouches for it and there are numerous studies showing the benefits of writing down your goals. Every person, whether they write their goals down or not, has shared a quote about goals. Why is it that important? 

Are you one of the zillion people out there who believe in “going with the flow”? Are you at a loss of words when quizzed about your new year’s resolution, simply because you don’t have any? Well, if you are, then perhaps this post can help you in goal setting and achieving.

But why should one set a goal? 

“The trouble with not having a goal is that you can keep running up and down the field without ever scoring.”

-Bill Copeland

Clichés aside, goal setting is extremely important. Do you find yourself fulfilling others’ expectations and wishes, instead of pursuing your own happiness? Or do you get distracted or dejected when you see others achieving while you’re still struggling? This could be because you haven’t been able to identify your goals, or assert them, or measure them, or adhere to them.

Here are some benefits that setting goals brings to your daily life. If you find following up on your goals difficult then writing your goals down is the best way to hold yourself accountable.

Let’s talk about some of the reasons for setting goals, and the importance of having goals to move forward in your life.

1. Goals Keep You Motivated

5 Reasons to Set Goals If You Want to Succeed

Often, we hear advice such as – write down your goals and prop them everywhere – in the kitchen, on your mirror, table top, and other places you frequent. This keeps your goals at the forefront and keeps you on track. Else, you might end up following a pattern we’re all familiar with: we set a goal; get all excited about it; work madly towards it; suffer setbacks; lose steam; abandon goal; back to square one.

“The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.”

-Bill Copeland

Motivation is instrumental in attaining your goals. Conversely, pinpointing your goals will keep you motivated. So, jot down a goal you really want to achieve, set down a realistic target date, and outline a plan of action.

2. Goals Can Make You Achieve the Unachievable 

5 Reasons to Set Goals If You Want to Succeed

Proper goal setting can lead to real success. Breaking down large, intimidating goals into small measurable victories will gain give you the momentum to keep working till the final pay off. 

“A goal properly set is halfway reached.”

-Zig Ziglar

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh wrote in his book “Delivering Happiness” how he increased employee satisfaction in his company by offering frequent promotions for small achievements. The cumulative sum of promotion returns for each employee in a year was the same as would have been had he given annual promotions on large accomplishments. But satisfaction and energy level among employees on receiving acknowledgement for each positive action was discernible. Employees were able to reach their target faster and the end result were happier employees and a satisfied management.

3. Goals Keep You Accountable

5 Reasons to Set Goals If You Want to Succeed

A goal without a date and a plan is just a wish. Writing down your goals, sharing them with people, measuring your achievements are all ways to maintain accountability. It also helps you realign your strategies if you find yourself falling behind your goal timeline. People forget that they have enough time, they just need to learn to prioritize it.

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”

-Albert Einstein

Another benefit of identifying concrete goals is the satisfaction you’ll experience when you look back at your journey and realize that you’ve achieved what you had determined.

4. Goals Assert Your Self-Belief

5 Reasons to Set Goals If You Want to Succeed

Goals fuel your ambition. They lead to the strengthening of belief in your strengths and capabilities. Why else would you pick a goal if you thought you couldn’t accomplish it? This is especially true for goals that are hard or uncommon. 

“The greater danger for most of us isn’t that our aim is too high and miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”

-Michelangelo

In dark times, when your self-belief is shaken or bruised, you can look back at your past achievements and boost your morale, pick up your spirits, and carry on. 

5. Goals Help in Self-Realization

5 Reasons to Set Goals If You Want to Succeed

Self-realization or actualization means how well you know yourself. What do you REALLY desire? Is it just a reflection of what others want from you? Your goals will help you understand what makes you happy and content.

“Set ambitious goals and along the way you will discover yourself.”

-Robin Suomi

If you don’t feel real happiness on attaining a goal, it means that the goal isn’t close to your heart. Naturally, when you’re able to drill down on goals that are truly important, you will understand yourself better. 

Final Thoughts

Without a clear, written down goal, your desire to achieve something just becomes a wish. You can dream or talk about it all you want, but until you write it down on a piece of paper, it remains a half-hearted attempt. 

Without a strong purpose, life becomes meaningless. A lot of people start their venture with a bang, but as things move further, they slowly start to feel demotivated. In the midst of difficulties, they quit because they don’t know what makes them tick.  

Nobody likes to fail. The person who least deserves to fail is you. So give yourself a chance to succeed – start setting goals and start following them religiously.

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

-Henry David Thoreau

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