The Importance of Goal Setting

I am a big believer in goal setting, however I also believe that long-term goals are harder to achieve!

Everyone must have a goal in mind to work towards but there must be a plan in place to reach that goal or the goal becomes a dream that seems far too unobtainable. 

When I set goals, it may be quite surprising for you to learn, but I don’t set huge goals, instead, I set mini goals to keep me on the straight and narrow and lead me to where I want to be. 

I believe that goals can change. When I was young, I wanted to buy fancy cars but as I got older, these goals were no longer on my radar and I found myself setting new goals without any regard for the old ones. If you find yourself working towards a goal you don’t have passion for any longer, you may get lost and if new goals are not set, you may find yourself coasting. So, for this reason, I like to reevaluate my goals regularly and I regularly adapt them as I go along. 

I now focus on little things that I think will improve my life in the short-term which will ultimately push me closer to reaching my goals. Using weight loss as an example, I will break down what I would like to do each week to help me get there - go to the gym five times a week and eat healthy and fresh through the week. By splitting my main goal, weight loss, into mini easily achievable goals, I can start to see progress immediately and this keeps me focussed and on track. 

The same can be said in business, my business goals are not solely focused purely on a revenue increase each year - yes, a monetary goal is set, however this goal is split into weeks and processes are put in order to reach this goal. Each division of the business will have KPI’s to be met, customer service levels to obtain as well as their own mini goals in order to achieve a weekly figure for their department. My goal is not monetary focused any longer - i believe that if you strive to be the best, money will follow. It is no use setting a monetary goal but having no plan in place or no changes to be made to reach that goal.

I have achieved many of the goals I have set in my life and I must admit that I haven’t celebrated them as much as I probably should because I am already on the way to achieving my next goal. I think splitting big goals into smaller goals and working on a plan that will help you obtain these, the big goal, once reached, doesn’t actually feel that big. This is when you need to spend time reflecting on what it has taken to achieve this goal and how hard you have worked to get there before moving on immediately - something I struggle with at times. Big sporting celebrities often dream of winning trophies when they are young and when they hold the trophy in their hands, say the excitement only lasts a short time before they are left searching for the next best thing. 

I think successful people who work hard and chase their dreams often have trouble enjoying what they do on the way through, they see their goals within reach, quickly grab them and start racing ahead to the next without leaving room for enjoyment. I have set a goal this year to spend more time with my family and enjoy life whilst also working towards my goals but not focussing solely on them. 

With each of my met goals over the years, I have changed as a person and it’s not the goal being met that has changed me, it’s what I have learned on the journey and the hard work and dedication I have put in along the way. I believe I am a better person with so much more knowledge having set, sometimes changed and sometimes accomplished my goals. I have lost friends along the way, but when you change and adapt, you find that the people around you change too.