The Art of Setting goals
Written by R. A. Stewart
Setting goals does not have to involve money on its own. If you set goals based on money then your life is out of balance. It is important to decide what is important to you and is the vehicle to helping you to achieve those aims. In short, money should not be your number one aim.
If you accept a job with a higher pay then you had better weigh up everything that the job involves such as the hours of work, the commute to the job, and responsibilities that come with the job and then decide whether it is worth all of the hassle.
It all depends on your personal circumstances and preferences. There is no size that fits everyone when it comes to goal setting. There is no such thing as “should” even though there are people who think others should do this or do that.
Personal goals are something which are personal to you. Here are some examples of personal goals:
Learning to swim
Learning a new language (specify)
Learning to drive
Learning to use the coffee machine
Learning to salsa dance
Reading the Bible from cover to cover
Meeting your favourite sports player
joining a sports club (specify)
The most important factor in determining your personal goals is your passions. The other factor is your talents. These two are often linked. Whatever most interests you is often where your talents lie but that does not mean that you cannot learn anything new. Most skills and talents are transferable.
We often see international sports people using the skills which enabled them to reach the elite level in their chosen sport to help them succeed in their chosen career after they have retired. Many have prepared themselves for life after sport by studying to gain a degree during their playing days.
It pays to have a number of strings to your bow as a backup.
You have to specify what your goal is otherwise it just becomes a wish and anyone can make a wish but it is taking action which will turn a dream into reality.
If you went to your travel agent and asked for a plane ticket they are unable to help you unless you were specific and told them your proposed destination.
Examples of vague goals which are non specific are:
To lose weight
To get fit
To be happy
To save money
The problem with vague goals is that there is no way of knowing when you have achieved your goal. Goals need to be specific and timed. A goal of “To deposit at least a grand into my retirement fund by June 30th, 2023 is a specific and timed goal. You have either achieved your goal or not.
A get fit goal may be “To be able to run a 5k fun run by 31 December 2023.” This is another example of a specific goal which has been timed.
Giving your goals a timeline will give you more motivation. Just telling yourself that one day or some day I will do such and such is not a goal; it is a wish and there is a big difference between wishing for something and being serious about achieving it.
Life needs to be in balance and it is important to consider your personal talents and preferences. Many people have achieved extraordinary success in their chosen field and despite not setting out to make money have accumulated a great sum of money doing something they enjoyed.
The key here is to not make money your number one goal in life.
www.robertastewart.com
