Our life is initially predetermined by the people, place, and circumstances we are born into. Moving beyond our beginnings, to a much larger degree than most admit, is up to us. As the famous adage goes, “Life is what you make it.”
Regardless of the influence that lineage, family, geographic advantage, or education has on a person, nothing could be more powerful and potent than an individual’s own life choices. Your choices are what will set you up for success, or the failure to reach your full potential.
Ultimately, the power lies in your hands. Having goals is what sets our path in life. By failing to set goals, we are simply relegating everything that happens to us to fate.
By creating our own personal goals, we are not only taking a stand but fighting for the kind of life that we envision to have in the future, even if it’s in stark contrast to the kind of life we were born into and our present circumstances.
With a multitude of distractions around, setting goals allows you to focus and grow at something worthwhile. Consequently, you need to say no to the things that don’t support your growth in order to help you achieve the life that you desire. But first things first.
How do you arrive at your goals and determine which ones are important to you? We set goals for various reasons but with limited resources, especially time, at our disposal, it’s really wise to focus on the ones that are meaningful to you.
Here are suggestions to guide you to help you determine your most important and worthwhile life goals:
Get Rid of Goals Created to Solely Please Others
All too common, people set lofty goals to achieve, solely to get the acceptance of others. Many of us strive hard and do our best to reach goals that don’t mean that much to us. In the end, we regret our choices and wish to buy more time to do what we want.
If you have the luxury to choose and create your goals, make them your own. This may entail some self-exploration and deep honesty on your part, but something that fulfills you will last you a lifetime.
Set Goals that Will Support Your Life Journey
So many goals to achieve, so little time. This is true because, in this finite world, some resources are limited or even scarce such as time, energy, or money, and we need to manage our efforts well. Just because something sounds like a great thing to do does not mean you should do it, if it doesn’t support the kind of life that you really want.
Be fueled by a purpose and have the end in mind when it comes to your goals. By getting to know yourself deeply, you will more easily know which goals support the kind of life that you want in the long term. It may lead you to the road less taken, but if that’s your chosen path, it will be worthwhile to look back on one day.
It’s Never Too Late to Set Another Goal (If You Have To)
Goals seem like an end destination. You can take the long route or shortcut to it. Just remember to enjoy the journey and make it worthwhile, because the journey itself is important too. Along the way, people can work their way to a lofty goal, only to self-destruct and forget who they are in the process.
Nothing will be worth it if the journey will lead you astray and if you forget your aim in the first place. If the goal you’re working for is not working, or it is costing you more than it should (not just money), have the courage to change course. Refocus on working towards a different goal.
Make it Your Goal to Give Back
Most of the time, success means more than achieving something solely for ourselves. A deeper kind of success may have a lot to do with fulfillment and expanding your goal outside of yourself. Along the way of working towards achieving things, we come across people in our journey who help, support, and guide us.
Make it one of your goals to give back to the people who’ve shown you kindness and support, and if that’s not possible, pay it forward. Having a goal to help and give back to others will never go to waste and it will fulfill you in more ways than one.
Have Goals that Resonate with the People You Love
Set goals in conjunction with people who mean the most to you, or at the least, share them with them. A collective will prove to be more powerful than a single person working to achieve something.
You will know that you’re on the right track and that you’re setting the right goals when it resonates well with the most important people in your life as well. Be willing to receive the support that some people around you are willing to give. This will make the journey worthwhile and easier in many ways.
