A Crash Course in Accomplishing Your Life Goals
We are all well aware that we only have one life, and it’s up to us to make the most of it. Each and every one of us have life goals and intentions that we hope to achieve in our time here on Earth, but this can sometimes be easier said than done. There are bills and big life events and unexpected obstacles that come up, and the things we dream of don’t always happen for us.
But there’s no reason that they can’t. In fact, you deserve to pursue your life’s intentions with diligence and passion!
Why Are Life Goals Important?
Life goals are in our DNA. In fact, Locke’s Theory of Goal-Setting implies that intentions are rooted firmly at the core of our behavior (Locke, 1968). Setting goals and then putting them into motion gives us something to focus on and motivates us to “keep on keeping on,” as they say. They clarify our every move in life and provide us with purpose and reason.
Goals are also a way to gauge growth and encourage self-awareness. When we have goals that we are working towards, we can consistently assess where we are now and where we hope to be down the road. This feedback helps us act accordingly, realigning our behaviors in flux with the status of our goals. In short, we don’t just act recklessly and hope for the best. Instead, everything we do is most often well-intentioned and deliberately in pursuit of our goals.
Additionally, life intentions promote daily happiness. It is easy to get stuck in the “grind,” so to speak, especially in a culture that encourages productivity and motion. But when we have life goals that motivate us, everything we do is in direct correlation with making our dreams come to life. Life goals extend beyond the 9 to 5 and to-do lists, allowing us to pursue our authentic aims and celebrate them when we achieve them!
Making Your Life Goals, Well… Come to Life!
Life goals are all well and good to have, but if we don’t actively work towards them, they are rather lost on us! When we don’t actually pursue these life goals, we are denying ourselves happiness and purpose that we hold within us. Here are some great tips for bringing those life intentions to life!
- Have an even balance of intrinsic and extrinsic goals. Intrinsic goals are intentions that help us become more well-rounded, authentic individuals, while extrinsic tend be “wants” rather than “needs.” While they aren’t necessarily material, they do require some sort of acquisition. For example: Landing a big promotion, traveling to India next year, owning your dream car, etc. Having a balance of these two types of goals help you self-fulfill while also working towards the goals that you have less control over.
- Create a plan of action. It’s great to name a big goal and say you are pursuing it, but what are you actually doing to get there? Nothing happens overnight (although it’d be nice), and there are often a number of sub-goals needed to get to your ultimate one. For example, if you’d like to see every country in Europe, you might start budgeting for Italy first. Once you make enough for Italy, you might book the flight to make sure you go, and then tackle Spain’s budget.
- Have alternative pathways built into your plan. As much as we hate it, sometimes our best efforts still don’t get us where we want to be. This is rarely because of our own skill or effort, but because there are obstacles or different paths that come up! Think about all of the potential ways you might achieve your goal, and be ready to put a different pathway into motion if one of them doesn’t work! Write them down and post them in your office so you don’t forget them down the line or become discouraged when something might not go your way.
- Develop resilience. Don’t take it too personally if you experience a setback! These things happen, but they can be negated by engaging in positive self-talk. Give yourself a daily pep talk, and remind yourself that the pursuit of your most authentic life is well worth it!
If you find yourself struggling to step into your authentic self and engage your empowerment, give me a call. We can work together to make your dreams a reality.
