Setting Goals

Managing time requires an understanding of what your goals are in order to set effective priorities. Goals are the most important gift you can give yourself. Setting goals keeps you connected to your values, to the direction you want your life to head, and to the accomplishments you already possess.

It is easy to dismiss goal setting as a frivolous activity, that goals are unachievable, or to believe that life just happens to you. These are common misconceptions that stem from a place of scarcity.

It is common to view goals as striving for that which you do not have. When you think about goals in this way, goal setting becomes an exercise in wanting but never having. Believing that you will never have what you want can lead to discontent, stress, and anxiety. You will never be happy until you get there.

You may think, “I cannot achieve what I want therefore I must not be a successful or worthy person.”

Without goals, however, you wander aimlessly without a road map to where you want to go and where you want to stay. You may have already achieved some goals, but without acknowledging them, you may end up wandering down a path that takes you awry. Further, pursuing new goals is how you stretch yourself to grow and evolve.

Instead of traditional goal setting, approach it more holistically. Examine both what you want and what you already have that you want to keep.

Take five minutes to do this exercise:

1. Grab a piece of paper and a pen. Science shows that putting pen to paper activates different parts of the brain and generates more commitment. Go old-school and don’t use the computer.
2. Now jot down 15-20 items you dream about, beginning with something you already have. For example, I have a job that is fulfilling, provides a safe and enjoyable work environment, and generates an income to support my family.
3. On every other line, list something that you want but don’t have. For example, I want to earn a promotion in the next three years.
4. Be specific, but do not engage or worry about HOW you will get there. You don’t need to know where the promotion will be, how you are going to move your family, how you are going to write your resume or any of those steps. Figuring out HOW comes later.
5. Remember that writing goals that may seem impossible naturally brings fear and will cause you to want to dismiss the goal. DON’T. Write it down anyway and honor your dreams.

By engaging in goal setting in this fashion, you remind your brain that you have accomplished impressive feats in life. Every accomplishment started with a dream, no matter how big or small. No one learned to walk without falling down a hundred times. Dreams all begin with a seed of doubt, but once you know your destination, you can create your road map.

The next first step is honoring your dreams, acknowledging them, and telling that seed of doubt to go take a hike.