Updated 2021
Having a sense of direction in life makes our journeys so much more manageable. When we know which direction we will naturally struggle in and what to steer away from, we then have more energy and time to focus on what is important to what we consider true success.
While setting up personal goals seems to be the secret ingredient of all successful and effective people, the process of setting and reaching these goals often leaves many people with questions and uncertainty.
In my experience, the first important step is to start making your own important life goals list. There will be many things you want to achieve in life. They could be related to your personal growth and your own values of what really matters. The goals could be academic leading you to satisfying work. They could be related to breaking off bad habits and choosing better ones instead.
I look at this process of choosing to Live Your Life On Purpose as written about here on my site. To me those are the ultimate goals that are meaningful.
While making a list of the things you want to achieve before you leave this world may appear easy, it is not. It is one of those things that you think you could do quickly, but when you sit down to actually do it you may find yourself struggling. If you find yourself in this situation, check out the following tips for crafting a definitive list of your personal goals.
You probably already have numerous ideas that could fill many pages. However, as you move into this important list, try to put the most important things down first. Many experts believe that having a list which displays all your goals in an orderly fashion should be the first thing you should do.
You may want to pick one or two of the smaller goals to work on first. Often achieving the smaller goals is very motivating which leads you toward making efforts toward your bigger long term personal goals.
When you have listed all your goals, go through them. Think about how some of these goals may be interlinked with each other and can help you get to more goals in half the time. For example, one of your goals is to be more punctual while another goal of yours could be to give more time to your studies. You could construct a plan which helps you achieve both these goals. For instance, you could set up a study schedule for yourself which will enable you to give more time to your studies, but by following the schedule, your punctuality habit would also be getting reinforced.
When you have all your important goals listed, think about how you are going to get to those goals. Lay it out to look like a step-by-step program. Sometimes if works better to break those steps into sub-steps too. The aim here is to help you achieve clarity in what you want and how you are going to get it. These tips will surely help you set up your list of goals which will later be serving as your map as you move through life.
Of course, as you grow and life events occur, there will be many adjustments along the way. You will be changing as a person so some of your goals may also change. Sometimes the discoveries you make along the way will lead you to even better steps to achieve those important goals.
One additional factor is to surround yourself with others working on similar goals so you can support one another. If not a group, just one person that is just a step or two ahead of you in one of the areas of growth can serve as a mentor or encourager. You, in turn, may be able to encourage either that person or another in another area of growth.
Most people who have achieved their goals have at least one or more people in their lives that have been an great inspiration. Occasionally that person may not personally known but a historical figure who is inspiring to you.
For me, personally, I have received inspiration from all of the above sources. In addition, my faith has motivated me over and over and carried me through the dark times to become the person I believe God wants me to be. Everyone of us has gifts but sometimes we are blind to them.
Who do you have in your life now who is an inspiration? Are you also paying it forward for someone else? You will find great satisfaction in both.
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