Why You Should Set Goals

Introduction:

To some this will be obvious as they believe that they set themselves goals in everything they do.  Others just do what they want without any planning or thought whatsoever, the third type does plan but not necessarily in a strict pattern or just when the mood takes.

This could be for  a holiday, or a party or  a day out, at other times they just go with the flow. So why you should set goals will hopefully be explained in this article.

This website is labeled as ‘Learning and Wealth’ for a reason to give you the ideas to live a fuller, richer and more fulfilled life, as I said before not just in the financial sense but your overall well being as a person.

Setting goals will help you achieve this in an orderly fashion. Which is why I am making this my next post to get you started on your journey to a more fulfilling life, also to having wealth on all sides.

Dreams, Wishes and Goals, What is the Difference?

No doubt you are thinking that there is not a lot of difference! However if we examine the words independantly we find that whilst there meanings are similar, they are in fact different:

Dreams are what we would like to imagine happening, we dream that someday we will win the lottery as one of many examples.  You could say that a dream is something that you visulise will happen one day, a thought  goal if you like.

Wishes these are things that we wish for, or would like to happen, we wish we could win the lottery to follow on from the dreams suggestion. If you like it is a desire goal for something that you would like to have or happen.

Goals having a goal is something that you set yourself to achieve, it is possible to do it, otherwise why have it as a goal, if it is not possible then it becomes a dream or a wish.

You can see that the three are in fact closely related.

If you wish for something, you can turn it into a dream, if the wish and dream are strong enough you can be determined to have whatever it is you wish or dream for, to turn it into a goal.

 

Time and Goal Setting:

When we set ourselves a goal, we usually set a time frame to achieve this goal in.  It can be daily, monthly or even longer such as yearly.  We can set ourselves long term goals that will in fact be life time achievements or smaller targeted goals.

As an example recently I decided that my intake of alcohol was getting a little excessive, several glasses of wine a night or two to three pints on a Friday Night, sometimes also on a Saturday with the family.

Have now not had a glass of wine for a number of weeks and my beer intake is reduced to two to three pints on a Friday with my friends.  This is a short term goal which I am achieving. (Just need to keep it up).

Another type of goal is what I call the improvement goal, if I type say five hundred words a day in a book that I am writing,if  in the same time I increase this to a thousand words , then two thousand,  providing that the standard of work produced is the same then this is an improvement goal.

If the achievement goal is very large, then cut it into smaller pieces that you can achieve, these will not take as long, but will eventually lead to you achieving your main goal.

The aim is to set a goal that leads to a life that is less confused and more importantly happier.

 

Setting Achievable Goals:

Setting goals is the way to succeed in life, not all will agree with that statement but it is true, when you do achieve your goal it gives you a sense of purpose.  The more realistic or achievable goal that you set the quicker you will reach it. Unfortunately some people set achievable goals but fail to achieve them why?

Understanding what an achievable goal is will help you to set that realistic target and achieve it.

 

Make sure that the goal is possible and that you have the ability to achieve it, we as humans cannot all achieve the same things.  Analyse any risks involved, if these are great it is better to forget this particular goal.

This is especially true when any financial outlay is involved, you do not want to spend good money on something that you want or need to help you achieve an objective, if you cannot really afford it, if it is likely to fail, as you will be putting yourself under too much pressure.

What is the reason behind each goal, if there is no reason , why do it.  Keep each goal short and simple this makes them easier to accomplish, involve others around you so they know what you are trying to achieve.

Keep a record of your goals, that way you will not forget them, it will also act as a spur if you look at what you have written down on a regular basis.  This will also keep you motivated, I look at my goals daily, I have them on my daily ‘to do’ list.

Achieving Goals Quickly, Some Strategies to Use:

 

As it can take a long tine to achieve your goal, a lot of people tend to veer away from what they set out to do.  There is no fast or easy way to avoid this, just a few ideas that will make you react smarter when trying to achieve your objective.

Be specific in the goal you wish to achieve, wanting to be rich is not specific, this term could refer to wealth, education, general health, therefore it is not specific.  You must keep yourself motivated, spend a quiet ten to fifteen minutes a day reminding yourself of what you want to achieve.

This can be done twice a day, once when you get up in the morning, then before you go to sleep at night.  Do not let anyone or anything distract you whist you are carrying out this process of reminding yourself, what you wish to achieve.

You must plan what goals you wish to accomplish, write them down on paper, keep a record of what you have achieved so that you know how you are progressing.

Try using a journal or planner to record your goals and accomplishments.  If you do not do this, you lose focus and eventually give up, no matter how well your intentions are.

When the goal is accomplished remain level headed, prepare for the next goal, do not go ‘What a clever person I am’ then revert back to what you were before you began setting goals.

Five Common Mistakes To Avoid When Setting Your Goals

As we have discussed earlier goal setting is not unusual, unfortunately people do make a number of mistakes which result in them failing to meet the objective they set themselves. Listed below are five of the more common mistakes which people make  when setting their goals:

1. The goal is not clear at the outset, you could say I want a large house with a very large garden, that is not a goal, but a wish or desire, as there is no start planned or how the ‘goal’ would be achieved.  This can cause untold misery when it fails to materialize.
2. Setting an unrealistic deadline for finishing the task. If you do not factor in possible delays such as holidays, illness and other such normal events, then you will fail.  Think before committing to completion dates.
3. Similar to the previous one, do not limit the boundaries of your goal, be prepared to expand if the need arises, until you begin to work on your task you just do not know how far it will go.
4. A common mistake is to discuss important matters with the wrong people, are they experts! Very often you get bad or wrong advice which can lead to all sorts of problems.
5. Failing to set a plan, if you do not have an action plan in place how will you know where you are at, when trying to work out what to do next.

When you decide to set goals, if you bear these five common mistakes in mind it should help you to achieve what you set out to do.

Conclusion:

I do so hope that this article has given you ideas on how to plan your goals when you set them.  Keep them in mind, read through them again, then the next set of goals which you set will be really achievable.

In 2014, The Royal British Legion decided to hold a major event to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War.  After much debate it was decided to also commemorate the fact that in 1928 on August 8th,  some 10,000 War Widows and Veterans marched through the Menin Gate to remember those who had given their lives.

The  event named ‘GP 90’, or Grand Parade 90 was born.The photograph above on the right shows the result when on August 8th 2019, 1200 standards complete with 1200 wreath bearers, National Officers and the Membership Council marched through the Menin Gate. and through the town of Ypres.  It was my great honour to be one of those who marched  behind the National Standards, complete with bowler.

Goal achieved.

The next article will be ‘What are good and bad habits’

Wishing you success,

Edwin

 

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