How clarity on your goals can help create the life of your dreams

“A map is useless without a destination.” This is one of my favourite sayings, something that I refer back to time after time again with my coaching clients. In one short sentence, it answers the big question of why is goal setting important.

Imagine getting into the car, bundling your entire family along for the ride. You know that you’re ready for an adventure but… you have absolutely no idea what you want that adventure to look like. Let alone where you want it to take place.

This is exactly why goal setting is so important.

You could be looking for the beach, craving a winding road up into the mountains… or perhaps you don’t even want to be in the car at all. Maybe what you really want is a day on a boat, with an adventure out at sea.

But with no end destination - no goal - you have no way of knowing this. You have no way to navigate. You could be heading in completely the wrong direction. Without even realising.

The exact same thing can happen in life, when you have no goals to guide you on your way.

Why goals are important

Our time is precious. It took me a long time to realise that this is why we need to be intentional in how we use it.

A few years ago, you’d find me running from place to place without a second thought as to where I was going or why I was doing it. I was juggling a career, a business, family time and a personal life.

But it wasn’t balanced.

I wasn’t intentional in how I was using my time. We need goals so that we don’t waste our precious time. It’s the only resource we can’t get back.

A life without goals can feel aimless, as though we’re spending our days cruising the highway with no end in sight.

Goals give us a destination, a sense of direction. And they give us satisfaction when, finally, we get there.

What is a goal?

A goal is simply an outcome or result that you want to achieve.

There are many different types of goals. Most of us have heard of SMART goals. These are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound. The idea is that, by following the framework, you’re able to set more meaningful goals.

But you don’t have to follow the SMART goals approach.

You could start by identifying a feeling that you want to create and work backwards from there. Sometimes it can be easier to work out how we want our lives to feel, before identifying how we want them to look.

What is goal setting?

Goal setting is the process of creating or choosing your goals. The goal setting process differs for everyone, with some people preferring to follow a set framework and others opting for a more intuitive approach.

The best way to set your goals is to start with your values. What essential ingredients make you so unique? What will help you create a life that feels like your own? Once you’re clear on your values, you can use these as the foundation for each of your goals.

What’s your goal chasing personality?

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