12 Feb Why Should I Set Goals? 4 Reasons to Start Today
Do you dream of running your own business and creating your own flexible schedule? Do you envision getaways to sandy blue beaches like those Facebook videos your wanderlust friend is always sharing? Manifesting a life of such things is possible – but it doesn’t just fall into ones’ lap by happenstance.
When I was in junior high, I stumbled upon an online challenge called 101 Goals in 1,001 Days originating from Day Zero Project. It looked like a fun activity to try, but I didn’t know where to start. I looked at several different sources including Day Zero Project, scoured Tumblr, Pinterest, you name it and started pulling some ideas together. I ran into ideas of goals that I could never be capable of or desire doing – and that’s when it hit me. The whole point of putting together a goal list is to not only record my greatest dreams, but to push myself out of my comfort zone and try things I never thought I would be capable of doing.
Flash forward a few years and I completed my 101 Goals in 1,001 Days project. And I didn’t stop there. I developed a full goal list of things I want to experience and accomplish throughout my whole life, and I encourage you to do the same.
Reasons to start your own goal list
1. You will accomplish your biggest dreams
By setting realistic goals for yourself, it becomes easier to envision actually doing those things. Once your goals are set, you can create a plan and build “mini-goals” to complete bite-sized chunks towards your larger goals – and even achieve “mini-victories” along the way.
2. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose
The feeling of achieving a goal that you set for yourself is exhilarating. By creating a goal list, you have things to work towards and you are able to track them and see progress. Without getting too nerdy, the brain’s reward system is an incredible thing (if you ~do~ want to get nerdy, check out this article on the brain and motivation) and it allows us to release “happy” hormones when we do things like accomplish a goal. Creating a goal list is an easy way to give yourself these moments of accomplishment and find purpose.
3. You will learn a lot about yourself
I have had goals on my list that I was super excited to complete – such as sail a sailboat. And it turns out I didn’t enjoy sailing as much as I thought I would. Learning what I actually do/don’t like is not the only thing I learned about myself from my goal list. Some of my goals required me to really dig deep and push myself out of my comfort zone. I don’t think I ever would have done things like go on a solo trip, at least at this point in my life, if I hadn’t put it on my goal list. And I am more than thankful for the confidence and maturity my solo trip gave me.
I highly encourage you to include items on your list that stretch you to do things that you never knew you would be capable of doing, and maybe even some things that you think you may not enjoy. You never truly know until you try it!
4. You will learn a lot about life in general
I used to have a goal on my list to “fix broken relationships”. After contemplating how I was going to do this and which relationships were broken, I realized that not all relationships are meant to be fixed. So I completely removed the goal from list. You’re going to have things like this come up. You’re also going to look at your list several years later and think “I really don’t want to do Goal #__ anymore”.
Just like life, your goal list will ebb and flow. It will help you to discover things you never knew about yourself, other people, and the world in general. It will encourage you to travel to new places, experience new experiences, and gain an exceptional amount of knowledge. The real question should be “why should I NOT start a goal list?”
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