By Bronwyn Ison
“To build a life, it is even more important to have a plan or goal.” – Zig Ziglar. Can you recall the first time you set a goal for yourself? Setting goals for yourself is one the most powerful actions you can take. Goals maintain our ambition. Goals help us to continue to believe in ourselves.
First and foremost, what exactly is a goal? According to Wikipedia the exact definition of a goal is: A desired result a person or a system envisions, plans and commits to achieve a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development. Many people endeavor to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines.
Therefore, any planning you have or hold for your future is that of a goal. Even the smallest tasks are goals. However, a majority of us have and set very high intentions for ourselves. Raising two daughters on my own takes goal setting to a whole other level (as you can imagine). As a yoga instructor it is my responsibility to encourage goals for my students. Goal setting can be the catalyst to greater self-esteem, overall confidence, and knowing we can commence a task and complete something.
Goals give us focus. Imagine you were trying to achieve a certain yoga posture but you weren’t sure exactly how to start or even get into the pose. Why would you attempt to do something without a clear focus on how to get there? A sense of direction can give us clear focus on how to aim for the finished result.
Goals allow us to measure our progress. When we are diligent about something we are trying to achieve we can look back at where we began and look at where we are now. Say you are coloring a picture. As you progress, with your coloring you can see the page filled with the beautiful colors you have applied and recognize you are no longer looking at a blank page.
Goals keep you from being distracted. If there is a task you are diligently trying to achieve you will remain focused to get to the end point. Each time we complete a set goal there is always a reward at the end.
Goals also lead you away from procrastination. We’re all guilty of putting things off. When we set a time and day to complete a project you are making yourself accountable. Plus, when you write down or think about what you need to get done you are more likely to aim for completion.
Goals motivate us! Any sort of motivation or inspiration stems from your setting goals. Any sort of concrete endpoint you give yourself gets you excited about what you can accomplish.
Being a goal digger will get you to your pot of gold. Aim high and remain confident in all you do!
