How to Set and Work Towards Your Life Goals
Life is all about setting goals for yourself and achieving them.
In your case, that might mean making a push to make $5 million by the time you turn 40 so you can retire early. Or it might mean setting aside time to write the book you want to publish by 50. It might even mean doing something as simple as losing 25 pounds in a year so that you can live a longer and more productive life.
Whatever the case may be, setting life goals is one of the keys to living a happier, more fulfilled life.
The problem, of course, is that it can be very difficult to achieve goals. There are all kinds of obstacles that can stand in your way and make it feel almost impossible to work towards the goals you set.
Don’t get discouraged! Here are tips that will help you set and work towards your life goals.
Decide Which Life Goals You Want to Pursue
Before you can start achieving your life goals, you need to sit down and decide which goals you actually want to pursue.
That doesn’t mean that you should sit down and talk yourself out of chasing after certain goals that might take time to achieve.
But it does mean that you need to take stock of your life and figure out what’s most important to you.
Think about the goals you’ve had in mind for a long time now. Those are probably the goals that you would like to achieve most. They’re also probably the ones that will leave you the most fulfilled.
Decide which of those goals you want to go after and commit to doing it.
Write Down Your Goals
Once you’ve figured out which life goals are most important to you, you should write them down.
Writing down your goals will make them feel real to you. They won’t just be loose thoughts floating around in your head anymore. They’ll be goals that you actually want to try and achieve.
Writing down your goals will also give you the chance to read them out loud over and over again. It will crystalize your goals in your mind.
Talk With Those in Your Life About Your Goals
In addition to writing your life goals down, you should also speak with the important people in your life about them.
This will serve a couple of different purposes.
First, it will increase the chances of you actually sticking with your goals and seeing them through. When you know someone else is holding you accountable for them, you’re going to be more likely to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals.
Second, it will give you the support you’ll need to chase after your dreams. When you tell your spouse, your best friend, or your parents about your goals, they will ask you about them often and help you along the way.
Figure Out the Steps You Need to Take to Achieve Your Goals
You’re not going to achieve your life goals overnight.
Chances are, it’s going to take you many years to achieve them. You’re going to have to go through a lot of steps to get from point A to point B. You may have to learn a new skill, change your daily routine, or even get a degree.
It can feel very overwhelming if you don’t have a clear plan in place. So you should figure out all of the steps that will go into it and then list them.
This will help you to feel more accomplished over time. Over the next 5 years, you might not be able to reach your goals. But you can make some real progress as you check off the different steps you’ve taken.
Take the First Step
Taking the first step in anything is always the hardest part.
It’s like exercising for the first time in a while. You really have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and feel the burn for a day or two before you get used to the idea of working out and start to enjoy it.
Rather than fearing the first step, you should celebrate it. It means that you’re officially on your way to reaching your life goals. And when you look at it like that, doesn’t it feel good to get yourself going?
Reevaluate Your Goals From Time to Time
Your goals are going to change throughout your life.
The idea of amassing a small fortune and retiring early might be thwarted when you have 5 kids. Or the idea of writing your first book by 50 might be thwarted by the career change you’re forced to make at 40.
That doesn’t mean you need to give up on your goals altogether. It just means you need to reevaluate them occasionally and see if you need to change any of the steps you have to take.
You might even want to set loftier goals as time goes on. For example, if you start making a ton of money when you’re 25, the idea of retiring early at 35 instead of 40 might become a strong possibility.
Adjust your goals as necessary over time to fit with your life.
Never Stop Visualizing the End Result
Achieving the goals you set for yourself in life isn’t going to be easy. That’s part of the reason why it’ll feel so great when you do it.
But it’s also part of the reason why so many people give up on their goals too soon.
Rather than going that route, you should visualize yourself achieving your goals on a regular basis. Every week or even every day, you should take some time to think about how wonderful it will be to say that you set goals for yourself and then chased after them.
Even if you come up short, the journey is usually better than the final destination. Take pride in the fact that you set goals for yourself and went after them.
Start Setting Life Goals for Yourself Today
What life goals have you set for yourself? If you don’t have any right now, you should come up with some and follow the tips listed above.
There is nothing quite like achieving a goal, especially when that goal takes a lot of time to reach.
Take a look at our blog for more self-improvement tips.