At this time of year, I always looked back at the year and the goals I had set and where I stand with reaching them. Then I start the planning process for the upcoming year.
I believe this is necessary and important to not only list our long-term objectives but also the daily actions required to help us achieve them. It gives us a clear set of actions to follow. It helps us measure our progress. Setting goals involves being specific and allows you to monitor and measure your progress.
Many reasons favor goal setting, and here are 5 to consider:
1. Goals trigger behavior.
Having a clear, compelling goal mobilizes your focus toward actionable behavior. In other words, goal setting should motivate you.
2. Goals guide your attention.
When you set a goal, you naturally direct your attention toward the next step and, as a result, lead yourself in the right direction, which forces your actions—your behaviors—to follow.
3. Goals sustain momentum.
Seeing progress is addicting. No, seriously, it’s addicting because of the dopamine released in your brain after attaining a reward.
4. Goals align your focus.
Goal setting helps you align to focus on behavior because you get feedback on your progress. The actions you take—or avoid—offer clues about your values, beliefs, challenges, strengths, and weaknesses, which allow you to course-correct as necessary and reset your goal achievement strategy.
5. Goal setting promotes self-mastery.
Perhaps the essential reason why goals work is because they build character. Achieving goals builds character. The process of goal setting is crucial; it helps to uncover and identify the “WITY” (what’s important to you), pursuing your goals is the real money-maker
The old saying, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and you can’t improve what you don’t manage.” Goal setting is the start.
