The Importance of Goal Setting

Goal setting is a fundamental skill for everyone on a quest for personal development.  You have to have a goal that you want to achieve and you have to have some sort of a plan on how to achieve it.

The importance of goal setting is evident among professionals. They work full time and yet still manage to have fun with their family; They extend their hands for community service and yet still manage to have some time to do their hobbies.  

Their secret lies not in controlling time but in managing time. Time management. This is the essence of goal setting.

The importance of goal setting, however, is not limited to professionals. Every successful people has understood and acknowledged the importance of goal setting. Athletes, doctors, lawyers etc. have used goal setting in one way or the other.

1. Goal Setting is a Map

Identify an area of your life where you want advancement. Then work through the goal process that follows. Here are the steps needed to make a map.

A. Identify the exact goal

What you really want in life? What is your purpose and your objective? You must ask yourself these questions to have a concrete idea of what you want in life.

Time, however, can change the way we look at things. One day you may want to be a published romance novelist after five years, the next day you may want to be a water colour painter with mother and child as inspiration. When this change of heart happens, don't despair. There's no wrong with changing a goal for a another goal. This is part of life. Change, that is. But having an objective, an exact goal at present, will give you an idea of what you want. Changing that goal along the way, as you travelled to reach your goal, is just one of the events that you'll encounter along the way.

B. Identify the completion date

Goals should have a period of completion. It is not a goal if it doesn't have a specific time of completion; it would be a dream. A daydream, that is.

Goals are concrete and realistic aspirations. It isn't a goal when you say, "I want to be a novelist within my lifetime." It is a dream. A goal must be put this way, "I want to be a published romance novelist before I reach 35." This gives you a period to push your pens and write down that publishable novel. It hurries you to reach your goal. It motivates you to beat time, have a published novel ahead of time you've set for yourself.

C. Identify the evolution of the goal

Change is inevitable. And it applies even to goals.

Goals may evolve into something, maybe even far better than your earlier goals. If earlier you want to be a published romance novelist before you reach the age of 35, it may evolve into somethings like: a published Young Adult novelist before you reach the age of 35, and have written a script for a video game.

2. Goal Setting Is Your Vision

When you set a goal, you are actually seeing a vision, a vision of yourself in the near future. Imagine if you accomplished the goal you have set after five years, it was as if you have predicted what you will become five year ago!

Having a vision not only makes you feel contented with yourself, it also pushes you to look ahead and go forward instead of to live in the past.

Here are a couple of positive affirmations for you:
"I am an abundant person."
"I am a magnet for creative ideas."
"I am at peace with the Universe."

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