Go For Your Goals

If you don’t watch out, life has a way of telling you what to do. The daily demands will push you this way and that until you find yourself backed into a corner, exhausted, discouraged, and frustrated beyond belief. If you have ever overslept and spent the entire day putting out fires then you know what I’m talking about. The process of getting out of survival mode and getting into the driver’s seat begins with setting goals. Our goals act as rudders on our ships, directing us through life and helping us reach our destinations. If we are ever going to accomplishing anything then we need to begin with the simple act of setting goals. But these aren’t just your everyday goals. No Siree! These are goals that are taking us places.

Goals need to be specific.
This is so very important. When it comes to goals, taking them from vague to specific makes all the difference in the world. There are some big problems with vague goals. First of all, how will we ever know when we reach them? And second of all, if we can’t imagine it then we’ll never have the drive to achieve it. Our goals need to be so clear in our minds that we can almost touch them. They are vivid pictures of the people we want to become. Instead of “losing weight,” try something like, “lose ten pounds within the next two months.” Instead of “make healthy meals,” try something like, “make three healthy meals every week from recipes that I choose on Saturday and shop for on Sunday.” Do you see the difference? One exists somewhere out there, the other exists right there in front of our faces. Make your goals as specific as possible. So specific, that you can put a check mark by it at the end of the day, week, or month.

Goals need to be personality-specific.
If there is one thing I have said over and over, it is “know who you are.” If you know who you are and how you work, then you can create goals that are attainable. There are a lot of “shoulds” out there. We should eat healthy meals. We should get in shape. We should finish our degree. But actually, they may not apply to our lives at all. If we know what drives us and what inspires us, then we can create goals that will enrich our lives. You may be under the impression that you should get in shape. But actually, if you have never exercised a day in your life then, chances are, you never will. Know who you are and embrace who you are. Love yourself enough to create goals that bring a sparkle to your eye with the mere thought of attaining them.

Your goals need to be YOUR goals.
Let me just go ahead and say it right now, if you want to lose weight because your husband wants you to lose weight, then forget about it. You never will. If you want to finish your degree because your dad wants you to finish your degree, then it ain’t gonna happen. And even if it did, you would hold resentment in your heart that would eat away at any feeling of accomplishment you could have had. Your goals need to be your goals and no one else’s. It’s your life – live it to the best of your ability.