2. #1: Goals help you chalk out a clear direction
Do you know the three things that help us love and
live our lives? They are focus, purpose, and priority.
Unless we have these, we will be drifting away in this
world, like a rudderless boat that drifts about in the
wind.
The last thing that anyone would want is spending
energy in going around in circles and reaching
nowhere.
3. The biggest hurdle that keeps us from keeping goals or
pursuing them is the waiting factor.
What does it mean? It simply refers to a mental attitude
of waiting for the right time, because of the feeling of
‘not being ready yet’.
No one needs to wait till the beginning of the year to
get the motivation of keeping mammoth resolutions,
which don’t work out well.
4. How can goals give you the needed direction?
Goals motivate you
Wendy Osefo, a professor of John Hopkins University says
that goals keep you motivated through every journey
in life.
Without them, you can reach a professional or personal
standstill in life.
5. Wendy also made a useful comment: “You want to
keep pushing yourself to reach your full potential.
[Setting goals keeps you] motivated to achieve
more, depending on what is important to you.
You don’t want to get stuck on a hamster wheel at
work.” why you don’t need to wait for the New Year
to start keeping goals.
6. Goals give you a target to aim
Life without a goal is like having a bow and an arrow
without a target. Where would you shoot?
Goals give you the aim to focus your energy, talents,
resources, and abilities.
When you have a sense of direction, your mind gets the
power to focus on that particular direction and makes it
possible for you to hit your target and achieve your goal.
All of this becomes possible without stress, strain, and
pain.
7. How can you keep such goals?
The simplest way of keeping goals is the P-V-G-A
formula. Let’s understand how it works.
•P stands for Purpose – What is your purpose?
•V stands for Value – What value does it bring?
•G stands for Goal – What goal should you keep?
•A stands for Action – What action should I take?
8. Now let’s take 1 example to see how we can
use the PVG formula.
•Purpose: To reduce weight
•Value: To become healthy and happy
•Goal: To reduce 10 pounds in 6 months
•Action: Cut down on carbs, eat more proteins,
etc. (can be more specific)
9. How does it keep chaos away?
Goals let you plan
What comes first? Goals or chaos?
Many people have started keeping goals after they
have been through a lot of chaos in life, while many
people have faced chaos while fulfilling their goals.
No matter when chaos hits you, if you have clear
goals in mind, it becomes easy to plan and stick to
your goals.
10. Goals let you adjust
If you have the habit of keeping micro and macro
goals, you will also be in a better position to adapt or
rewire your goals.
When you have everything clearly outlined it
becomes easier to make way for contingencies, or
damage-control, which is not possible if you don’t
have goals.
11. #3 Goals make you more productive
According to a study conducted by Sven Asmus, Florian
Karl et al, goal-setting can increase the performance of
an industrial worker by 12 to 15% (even without any
financial incentive) compared to a situation where no
clear goals are defined.
There are numerous studies where researchers have
connected goal-setting to performance and this holds true
for all aspects of our life.
12. How can goals make us productive?
Goals keep us regulated
Goals that are clear and specific help you in implementing
decisions faster, and allocate resources smartly.
Goals act as guidelines to keep your plans in check and help
you pool all your resources to your desired outcome.
With a plan, you are motivated to push harder. In a sense,
your goals regulate your resources, energy, and focus to lead
you swiftly to your purpose.
13. Goals help you measure performance
When you have a goal in place, you can measure your
existing performance with it to understand where you have
reached.
Without a specific target, it is impossible to measure
productivity and efficiency.
There is no real way to identify performance or quantify your
efforts without keeping a target.
If there is no goal, a person may find himself needlessly
slogging and risking stress and burnout.
