Do Not Avoid Setting Goals

It’s convenient to avoid setting and achieving goals. You don’t have to worry about missing deadlines or making excuses. You don’t have to restrain yourself doing something unpleasant for a big pay-out later. You can just go through life, doing as you please, riding the waves and enjoying the moment. But do these goal-less individuals truly enjoy the moment… or are they living sub-par existences full of frittered friendships, unfulfilling careers and vapid relationships? The true leaders, entrepreneurs and trend-setters in this world all have goals, which is why setting and achieving them is so important.

One of the most difficult goals a person can choose is training to run a marathon. We can learn a lot about setting and achieving goals from new marathon runner, Darrin Class of Seattle. He said at first, writing down goals and a plan, and tacking the piece of paper up to his refrigerator was essential to working toward his marathon training. “Having the plan taped up on my frig also kept me honest. Whenever I debated skipping a run, I would look at the plan and see all the previous days and weeks checked off and this was usually enough to get me out the door,” he wrote. Over time, though, he needed something else. The plan become more like a taskmaster he served, rather than a motivator, he said. He began challenging himself more by running races and trying to beat his previous times. He also listened to audio books and read magazines from other passionate marathon runners to stay positive and engaged.

Weight loss is another popular area to set individual goals. One technique for setting and achieving goals is to celebrate the little milestones and reward yourself. Many dieters sign up to websites like www.sparkpeople.com to stay motivated. They can chart how many pounds or inches they’ve lost, count their daily calorie intake and record their workouts. It can be inspiring to look at the calendar and see how much progress has been made. Once you lose five pounds, you can reward yourself with a frozen yogurt sundae. Once you lose ten pounds, you can buy yourself a new pair of pants one size smaller! Once you lose fifteen pounds, you can sign up for those dance lessons you’ve always been too embarrassed to take. These little rewards can help keep you happy while pursuing your long term goals.

No matter what life has in store, setting and achieving goals is a natural part of an individual’s evolution. Conventional wisdom tells us that we are most successful at achieving our individual goals if we follow the SMART plan. SMART goals are ones that Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Success should be celebrated at all levels to keep you motivated. Involving other people in the process can help as a motivator too. Many individuals like to surround themselves by literature and other people who are working on the same goals. It may seem like an obsession to be in hot pursuit of a dream, but the rewards are great.

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