Goal setting- Have you ever wondered about its importance for your success?

Yes!

Without goals you will never understand where your life is heading towards. Your work will be aimless and pointless. Though you work hard, your success keeps eluding you as you have not set yourself a goal.

“I want to be successful in my life. I work hard for my success. But success is eluding me” Nicky, a boy I knew looked depressed and gloomy.

“What are your goals in life, Nicky? I asked the young boy curiously.

“What goals are you talking about, aunty? I want to earn lots of money. That is my aim” Nicky looked bewildered at my question.

Most of you are like Nicky. You want success in your life, but do not know how to go about it.

Your ambition about your life is hazy and clouded. You can never be successful if you do not have a specific aim in your life.

Your work should be targeted towards achieving your ambition. You should be passionate about your goal. You should be focused. And you should be patient, because success takes its own sweet time before alighting on you.

Have you ever set goals in your life?

Most of you don’t.

If you want to be successful, you should have some purpose in life.

Is setting goals in your life that important?

Of course, it is.

Let us see through an example.

When you are driving a car, you should know your destination. Otherwise you would be driving around for hours without knowing where you are going.

Likewise, you need the essential ingredient of setting goals for your destination of success in your life journey.

Just thinking about success can never make you successful.

Almost everyone wants to be successful in their life.

But only a handful achieve it.

Do you know why?

Because most of you want to be successful without any goal setting. When there are no goals in your life, your work becomes wasted and futile.

Are you wondering how to go about goal setting?

It needs your focus. It needs your hard work. It needs your visionary dream. And it needs your smart intelligence.

My brother’s ambition in life was to own a house.

His income was not very high. Most of us thought it was a futile goal. Building a house needed a lot of money.

How was he going to manage it?

But nothing deterred my brother. He would talk about the house he was going to build. He would show me various blue prints of the house he intended to build.

His eyes would sparkle when he spoke of his plans to build a house. I could see he was visualizing his dream.

“He is going to make it” I told myself.

Since my brother has set his goal of owning a house, he is now a proud owner of a small bungalow.

How did my brother manage to build a house when he did not have enough money to do it?

It was his determination and unfaltering dream that made him achieve it. He worked hard to achieve his goal. He saved money intelligently. Everything combined to make his dream a reality.

You too can do it.

Here are proven ways of goal setting.

1. Know your capacity

Unless you know your capacity, you cannot achieve your goal.

Is your goal to be a good writer?

You should have writing talent. Otherwise you cannot succeed.

I have a passable writing talent. That is why I chose it to be my profession.

I am always in awe of the singers who have such good voice.

But I cannot be a singer as I have no capacity to sing. If I tried singing, I would flop.

So, knowing your capacity is the number one criterion in goal setting.

2. Have a specific goal

“Jack of all trades, master of none”- Have you heard this old saying?

When you jump from one goal to another your actions will be all muddled up.

Stick to one concentrated goal. This is very important to lead you to your success.

Your thoughts should be centered on your specific goal.

When your goal is specific, you are more focused and targeted.

3. Do not be cowed down by your failure

Most of you will face consistent failures in your journey towards your goal. It should in no way deter your trying.

Do not stop your work thinking that you are destined to fail.

Understand the simple fact that your failures teach you many valuable lessons.

It makes you realize that you are working the wrong way.

Change your tactics and work differently.

This is a simple trick to achieve your goal.

4. Have an achievable goal

Your goal should be realistic and achievable.

You cannot wish to be an actor without acting talent.

You cannot be a tennis player without practicing it.

Your goal should be achievable according to your talent.

I cannot set a goal of building a palace as I do not have the resources to achieve it.

But I can set a goal of building a house of my own. It is more achievable.

Achievable goals make you do away with many disappointments and frustrations you will otherwise face.

5. Concentrate on your goal

When your thoughts are not concentrated, you cannot act positively.

Update your knowledge about your goal.

Write down your priorities to achieve your goal.

Number it.

Tick the work done.

It is amazing how this small trick makes you stride towards your goal.

Writing down in a paper is a like a reminder which prompts you to act.

6. Be patient

There is no instant success anywhere in the world.

You must wait for your success.

Instant success leads to inevitable failure as you become smug and complacent.

But hard-earned success is very rewarding and lasting.

7. Never doubt your capacity

When you have doubts about your achievement you will not succeed.

Whatever might be the outcome of your hard work, stick to your goal and keep on working.

Very soon your goal will be within your reach.

8. Be kind to yourself

Do not drive yourself too hard and burn out.

Take a break between your work and relax.

Enjoy shopping.

Listen to music.

Go for a long drive.

Spend quality time with your family.

Now go back to work with renewed energy.

9. Be the first to congratulate yourself

Even your smallest success in achieving your goal should be acknowledged by you.

Congratulate yourself and exult in your tiny success.

Remember that inch by inch steps you take towards your goal leads to your inevitable success.

10. Visualize your goal

Your ambition in life is easily achievable when you visualize it.

You should think and live your goal.

It should be a visual thing for you.

Your vivid visualization should spread out as a blueprint before you.

Your blueprint about your aim in life finally becomes a reality when each action you take drives you towards achieving it. The final sense of accomplishment you feel is worth waiting for.

Conclusion

‘Write it down. Written goals have a way of transforming wishes into wants; cants into cans; dreams into plans; and plans into reality. Don’t just think it- ink it’- author unknown.

Can you see why goal setting is important?

It makes you work with a purpose. It gives you the right direction. Goal setting finally makes your success a reality.