7 Benefits of Goal Setting

(c) AJ_Watt

​With the end of the year quickly approaching and bringing us into 2023, you may be thinking about the outcomes you would like throughout the coming year. Goal setting is one of the surest ways to insure that you achieve the outcomes you most desire. Huge transformations can be achieved in your reality and the life you are living. 

According to Darren Hardy, author of The Compound Effect, “when you define your goals, you give your brain something new to look for and focus on. It’s as if you’re giving your mind a new set of eyes from which to see all the people, circumstances, conversations, resources, ideas, and creativity surrounding you.”

Whether your goals are personal growth, career, relationship, health or financial, consider the many benefits of kicking off your New Year with some strategic goal setting.

1. Gives You A Destination and Direction

Whether you are traveling by car, train, or plane, in order to get anywhere, you first need to know the destination. Once you determine your destination, you then need to set a direction plan to get there. The same is true when it comes to life. How could you possibly expect to get anywhere if you don't have a specific destination, aka a goal, so that you can plot a course? If you find yourself saying things like "I hope to..." or "I want to..." or "God willing, I'll get...", chances are, you are not taking enough charge of your future to guarantee that you will have certain results. Whatever the area of your life, your goal(s) should be specific, realistic and possess a timeframe.  

2.  Provides A Foundation for Manageable Steps

With well defined goals, you are in a good position to set your course. If you think of this in terms of travel, once you have your destination, you are then able to set your GPS or buy your plane ticket to get there. With solid goals in place, it is easier to get clarity about the specific steps needed to implement and act upon to achieve your desired outcome. This becomes your general roadmap, and similar to your GPS, you can figure out along the way if your route needs to be adjusted or modified, but in the end, your destination stays the same. What's more, with each manageable step you take, it will become more obvious how you are moving from where you were to where you wanted to be when you first set your goal(s).

3. Refocuses Your Energy from Thinking to Doing

With specific goals and a subsequent road map for getting there, your are purposefully igniting your power for manifesting results in your life. By redirecting your energy from a stagnant state of contemplating abstract ideas, you are instead doing.
Taking bold and well directed action steps, turns your intangible thoughts into end results that can be seen and measured.

4. Up-levels Your Life with A Compound Effect

Setting goals is a very powerful action because it puts into motion daily efforts that over time will compound and create transformational results. According to Hardy, "Small, Smart Choices + Consistency + time = Radical Difference. "By laying out your goals, setting action steps and sticking to it daily, it is impossible to fail!

5. Helps With Accountability

Another valuable benefit of goal setting is that it helps to keep you accountable and moving forward. By attaching schedules, timeframes and deadlines to your action steps, you are more likely to adhere to following through and getting things done.   

6. Keeps You Focused and Motivated

Getting distracted is one of the most common reasons for why people do not get the results they want. Just as blinders are used to keep the horse focused on the task at hand, so too are your goals, which can create mental barriers to keep you from veering off track and losing sight of the desired end result. According to an article in Forbes, "Having a clear, compelling goal mobilizes your focus toward actionable behavior. In other words, goal setting should motivate you."

7. Reinforces A Sense of Self Empowerment

When you become the architect of your life by determining your goals and proactively take actions towards them, there is a sense of control that comes with it. Goal setting helps with finding meaning and purpose, develops positive self-regard, improve mood and self-esteem - all of which lead to feeling better about yourself and your life.
 
Love & Light,
Elisa