Think about your dream life, which has you raking in millions, going on multiple vacations every year, and being an employer of hundreds of families. It could also be the life where you are a multiple award-winning writer, filmmaker, actor, poet, or businessman. Interestingly, such a life indicates success, one of the most widely discussed concepts. To the ordinary person, success is the primary reason for existence, and everyone desires it, albeit on various levels. However easy and frequently mentioned as it may seem, success is not so easily achievable. So, the desire for success often starts and remains a dream for most people who are not privy to the secret of success: setting the right goals.
This article will examine the concept of goal setting and reveal why setting the right goals is a secret to a successful life.
Why the Secret to Success Is Setting the Right Goals
What Is Goal Setting?
It is a common saying that if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Sadly, wishes are mere words and desires that would end up as nothing tangible if not worked on. That desire to see your wishes become a reality brings about the concept of goals. Goals refer to a person’s ambitions or achievements, which their actions and decisions are tailored or designed to attain. Similarly, goal setting involves recognizing particular outcomes and formulating a plan to achieve such results. In simple words, goal setting means having a vision and making a plan or in some cases plans to achieve that vision.
Several people argue that success will come at a specific time and does not necessarily need futuristic planning. However, the truth is that waiting around and hoping your dreams come true is a futile action. This is because a thin line exists between success and failure, which rests precisely on goal setting. Therefore, the absence or presence of goal setting makes the difference between success and failure in persons and organizations. Even with this knowledge, there is still the question of whether goal setting is necessary for success.
Benefits of Goal Setting
Amazingly, the crucial contribution of goal setting to the attainment of success cannot be undermined. Success would remain a pipe dream filled with wishes and imagination when no plans exist. Here are a few ways goal setting can help your journey to success:
- Goal setting brings a sense of focus and discipline toward achieving success.
- Through goal setting, that execution becomes possible, as without set goals, nothing will be executed.
- Goal setting makes success even more interesting and attainable as we humans have a natural drive to do more and do better when we have specific plans or goals in our minds.
- With goals set in our minds and with constant reminders, success will no longer feel like a faraway dream that only exists in our minds.
Setting the Right Goals – Simple Recipe for Success
Have you ever thought about how successful people were able to achieve the results they produced? The answer is simple. Every journey of success begins with goal setting. Successful people, however, do not just set goals; they set the right ones. As beneficial as goal setting sounds, if it is not right, you might just be setting yourself up for failure. So, having the right goals will spearhead your success in life.
However, there can be the problem of recognizing and formulating the right goals. The first assumption is that the right goals will always feel ‘right’ in a sense. So, people spend valuable time waiting for certain goals to feel right before carrying them out. Another part that could get tricky is figuring out whether a goal is right or not. Ordinarily, most people would insist that if your goals or dreams do not scare you, they might not suit you. Due to this, many assume that having big plans equals setting the right goals.
However, the size of your goal does not influence how wrong or right it is. Your goals may be significant and wrong or minor in the eyes of others and just right for the success you want. Thus, it is the component of the goals that matters. You know your goals are right when they are smart, achievable, and measurable. Also, when your goals are mapped out such that they provide for certain human lapses while at the same time keeping you focused on achieving the desired result, those goals are right.
How To Set the Right Goals for Success
As much as you love dreaming and envisioning success, it does not happen just by willing or imagining it. Success largely involves execution, but even execution itself cannot happen without setting the right goals. Although setting the right goals may seem complicated, you will find it easy by utilizing the three Ws test, which are:
- Find out WHY a particular goal comes to mind
Answering the why question clarifies the purpose of your actions and decisions. It also provides you with a broader view of your desired outcome. In addition, your actions and decisions gain relevance once you have figured out why you included a particular goal, allowing you to chase such goals effortlessly. Your answers here would also form a foundation for any motivation you might require to succeed.
2. Figure out WHAT success means to you
Interestingly, people who picture success often fail to answer this question appropriately. It is not enough to guess what you want to achieve in your head; instead, you must be fully aware of the expected outcome. When your expected outcome is clearly defined, it is easier to make plans that would effectively produce such results. So, set goals with the desired outcome clearly defined.
3. Decide on WHEN you want to succeed
Thirdly, to set the right goals, you should answer the question of WHEN. A major discouraging factor in getting answers to this question is the ever-changing nature of the future. But even though you cannot control the future, your desire for success will be strengthened if your goals are time-based. It is also a way to instill the discipline required for the execution of set goals. For instance, you will likely own a car quicker when you target buying one in the next three years than someone waiting around and hoping to get a car someday.
So, the right goals are obtained when you recognize the reasons for your intentions, actions, and decisions, correctly picture the intended success in your head, and have tailored plans to achieve the desired outcome on a specific timeline.
Final Words
When I was pretty young, my father used to ring it into my ears how good things do not fall from the sky but rather are walked into by taking steps of progress. Likewise, success doesn’t happen accidentally. It has to be planned and prepared for. The first step to getting win is adopting goal setting and choosing the right goals. With the right goals, it is much easier to stay focused and dedicated to a sole cause. It also helps you cultivate discipline and readily spend your resources, time, and money to ensure you achieve your desired success.
So, the next time you have thoughts of your success, remember that the right goal setting is a secret, oblivious to many that can help you succeed.
