Have you ever achieved anything in your life without first setting a goal?
Think about it for a minute.
In the vast majority of cases the answer will be “no”.
Maybe you didn’t intentionally sit down and write the goal, but I bet that it was there in your mind, constantly driving you to keep going.
You see, goal setting is one of the key pillars of success. Regardless what it is you are trying to achieve, setting goals will help get you there.
Below we discuss 7 compelling reasons why goal setting is so essential for success.
1. Goal setting turns big, fat, hairy goals into manageable steps
Long term goals can sometimes feel totally overwhelming.
These big, fat, hairy goals are fantastic to set a direction for your life and to give you something to strive for; but if overwhelm kicks in then they can end up doing more harm than good.
That’s where the process of breaking down your BFH (big, fat, hairy) goals into mid-term and short-term goals comes into play.
Short-term goals are your stepping stones towards that long-term vision. They make the journey manageable and realistic.
A simple example:
You set a BFH goal to do 50 push ups without a break.
At the moment you can’t do 1.
That goal of 50 push ups seems pretty unattainable right now.
But if you break it down into smaller, short-term goals, the path seems less scary.
First of all you commit to be able to do 1 full push up with perfect technique by the end of this week.
Your next goal could be 2 full push ups 3 days after that. Then 5 push ups, then 10.
You get the picture.
Real life tip: Don’t avoid setting big, fat, hairy goals. Just be sure to break them down into incy wincy goals to set your path
2. Goals allow you to measure your progress
If you have read the post on how to set goals, you’ll remember that the most effective goals are SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and time-based).
It is so important that the goals you set are measureable, as this gives you the opportunity to see how you are progressing, which is incredibly motivating.
A simple example:
You set a goal that you want to start meditating.
If you make the goal measurable, (for example you will start by meditating for one minute each day, then build up to three minutes, then five minutes, and so on) you are much more likely to stick to it.
By measuring your progress and seeing your successes, you will become increasingly motivated. For more on this effect, see point number 7.
3. Goals are a great motivator
Working towards a specific goal can be extremely motivating.
Tasks that may ordinarily seem mundane or even annoying suddenly become more meaningful when you know what you are trying to achieve and why.
A simple example:
You set a goal to get yourself out of debt within a specific time-frame.
Normally you hate anything to do with numbers and budgets, but now that you have that goal, sitting down to put together your weekly budget becomes meaningful.
You might even find yourself becoming a bit of a budgeting nerd, and get excited when you spot another way to reduce your outgoings.
4. Goals can keep you focused
If you only have a vague idea of what you want to achieve, it is very easy to lose focus.
You start one thing, it doesn’t get you to your end result quickly enough, so you switch to something else.
This is known as shiny penny syndrome. I like this definition from Neil Cowmeadow’s podcast “Shiny Penny Syndrome is the constant jumping of attention and focus, from one new thing to the next, leading to distraction and loss of direction”.
The problem with always switching up what you are working on is that you never give anything enough time to really work.
And in most cases, consistency is what will lead to the biggest and best results.
Turning up and delivering day in, day out.
Simple example:
You vaguely decide that you want to lose some weight.
Although you have read that you can achieve sustainable weight loss of 0.5 – 1 kg (1-2lbs) per week without doing crash diets, that’s too slow for you. You want to see results NOW.
So you start the latest celebrity fad diet doing the rounds. After 2 weeks you can’t see much difference on the scales.
That diet clearly isn’t working for you, so you decide to start exercising.
After a week of exercising intensely everyday, you feel really tired and sore, so decide that exercising isn’t for you. You opt to try a different diet instead.
And so the cycle continues. By the end of the year you actually end up heavier than you were at the start and wonder what went wrong.
Instead, if you set a SMART goal and break it down into small stepping stone goals, you will keep your focus each week. You will maintain motivation as you achieve each of the little goals and you will stay consistent. This will lead to big results in the end.
5. Goals are procrastination busters
Do you ever suffer from procrastination?
You know the situation: you have something that you really need to do, but first you take the rubbish out. Then you put a load of washing on. You clean out the bottom draw of the fridge.
Anything BUT the thing that you actually should be doing.
Having clear goals can help put an end to procrastination.
When you are dead set on achieving your goals, you are much more likely to continue taking action, even when things get difficult, or you come across a task that you don’t particularly like.
If you know that each and every task bring you closer to your goal, then you get on and do it.
A simple example:
If you have a SMART goal that involves exercising 3 times each week, you are much more likely to do it than if you have a vague desire to do more exercise.
Your strong goal will stop you from making excuses and finding other things to fill your time. You will prioritise the exercise over other things, so that you can achieve your goal.
6. Goals keep you accountable
Setting goals is already a great first step. However, sharing your goals can lead to an even greater chance of success.
Research from The Ohio State University found that telling your goal to “someone perceived as having higher status” facilitates commitment to the goal and leads to higher performance.
“The important thing is that you need to care about the opinion of who you are telling,” Howard Klein, one of the studies’ authors said in a press release. “If you don’t care about the opinion of whom you tell, it doesn’t affect your desire to persist – which is really what goal commitment is all about”.
In order to feel highly accountable and to maintain the desire to succeed, tell your goal to someone you perceive as higher status, OR whose opinion you truly value.
A simple example:
You have a goal to reach a certain target at work, maybe a sales target, a promotion, or a pay rise.
A task comes up, which would pretty much guarantee that you would achieve your goal, but the task is totally outside of your comfort zone.
If you haven’t told anyone your goal, it is much easier to decline taking on the task.
On the other hand, if you told either your direct line manager, a mentor or perhaps your parents or spouse about your goal, then they will hold you accountable. If you decline the task, you will need to explain to them why.
By telling your goal to someone whose opinion you value, your desire to persist in reaching your goal is increased. You are therefore more willing to put in the necessary effort to succeed, and won’t give up as easily.
7. Achieving a goal improves your well-being
When we achieve a goal our brain releases a chemical messenger called dopamine.
This can create pleasurable feelings of reward, which can motivate us to repeat a behaviour to experience that dopamine spike again.
The great thing is, it even works with small goals. By setting small goals and regularly achieving them, we get a flood of dopamine, making us feel good and thus also improving our well-being.
This is also the basis of how to form a desirable behaviour into a habit.
A simple example:
You set a goal that you want to save a certain amount of money by the end of the year.
One of your small goals is to stop buying take-out coffee everyday, and to save money by making your own instead.
You have a chart on the wall and every day you achieve that goal, you mark the day with a big red tick. This leads to a release of dopamine and motivation to repeat the behaviour.
Conclusion
I have no doubt in my mind that setting goals leads to increased levels of success.
It really doesn’t matter which area of your life you want to change or what you want to achieve, if you set a goal you are much more likely to succeed.
From helping to beat procrastination, to keeping you motivated and focused; the importance of goal setting simply can’t be underestimated. I would like to finish with a powerful quote from an expert on goal setting, author, philanthropist and success coach Tony Robbins, “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”