This may be the first question to ask yourself when thinking about how you’d like to make progress / set goals this year.
In order to set a goal, you have to know where you’re headed but most people have no clear direction. They don’t know what they’re working toward and they have no way to gauge their success or failure.
Think of it like being an airline pilot. You can go into the cockpit and sit down. You may know what all the controls do but you have no destination or flight plan. How do you know if you did your job? How do you know if you arrived where you intended to be?
The simple answer is you don’t. That’s what it’s like to coast through life without goals. Goals are your flight plan. They help you chart a path from where you are right now to where you want to be. Without a plan, you’re just flying around in circles and burning valuable fuel.
Setting Goals Requires Commitment
Setting a goal doesn’t matter if you aren’t willing to commit to seeing it through. It’s the equivalent of coming up with a flight plan but never setting foot in the cockpit. Following through on a goal is hard and it can be scary. But if you’re not happy with your life, you’re the only one that can change it.
Are You Willing to Take Responsibility?
Most people fail at reaching their goals because they neglect to change their mindset. It’s easy to make excuses for why you aren’t achieving your goals. You may tell yourself that you don’t have the time or money to pursue your goals. You may tell yourself that you were dealt a bad hand in life and you can’t do anything to change it.
You have to be willing to set these excuses aside and take responsibility for your life. When a pilot sits down in the cockpit, they take responsibility for the aircraft. They can’t make excuses because they have the lives of other people in their hands and so do you. You have your life in your hands. What you choose to do with it is your responsibility.
Know What Your Finish Line Looks Like
To meet a goal, you have to be focused on the finish line. It’s easier to binge on Netflix than it is to work toward you goals. That’s why it’s important that you have a visual reminder of the finish line.
This finish line image can be a picture of the island where you’ll go on vacation after you’ve gotten out of debt or a collage of what your home office will look like when you finally earn enough to quit your job. Focusing on your finish line keeps you motivated and increases your chances of success.
Becoming goal focused is difficult and requires discipline. But if what you want is important to you, then you’ll find a way to reach your goals and live the life you want.
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