How To Focus Your Life With Goals
There is never a shortage of things to do, and it can be difficult to focus on what we really want. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day struggles, or have our attention pulled in a dozen different directions by friends, family and work. But kicking your goals into high gear means you need to start by setting some specific short-term goals for yourself as well as long-term ones. This is how you stay focused on what matters most and live the life that brings you happiness.
Figure Out What’s Important to You
Before you can get started on your goals, you need to figure out what they should be. Write down a list of all the things that are important to you – what are your responsibilities and who are the people in your life that matter most? When it comes to your responsibilities, make sure that you are clear about how much time and energy each one requires. For example, if you have two children under ten years old at home, then there’s no way you can do an hour of exercise every day and still devote enough time to them. Instead, schedule a half-hour break for the gym or walk after dinner or before bedtime. For your loved ones, it’s important to make sure you are clear about who will be best for each particular task. This means that if you have a young child at home, then you should find someone who can take care of them during the day – maybe a babysitter or nanny. Or maybe your mother can help out by doing the grocery shopping two days a week; this way she can do something each week that she enjoys and leaves her free to spend time with the family. You should also figure out what kinds of things you want to accomplish by setting goals. Will you set yourself a lofty goal like going around the world and back in one year, or will you start small, say by doing a half-marathon? Or will you set a goal that needs to happen over the course of several years, such as saving up enough money to pay for your children’s college education? The right goal is dependent on what is important to you.
Don’t Be Afraid To Make Mistakes
The most common mistake people make when setting goals is having unrealistic expectations. When we have unrealistic ideas about what can be accomplished in the short amount of time we have, it can be more difficult to stay focused and motivated. Over the long-term, too, goals can become a source of stress because no matter how much you try to imagine what could happen if you fail, it never comes to pass. Instead of setting a goal that will become a source of pressure and frustration, aim for something that is achievable but still challenging enough to encourage you to get started today.
Think Long Term
Finally, it’s important not to set yourself goals that are too lofty or that don’t allow for long-term success. This can prevent you from making progress in the critical first few years when your life is at its most dynamic and complicated. Instead, set goals that are realistic enough to get you started but large enough to inspire your dreams.
One of my favorite quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is "Now is the time to make real progress toward the goal of ending racial injustice and creating more just, humane conditions for all of God's children." What does this mean for you? It means you need to set specific short-term and long-term goals for your life that will help you achieve the dream you have for yourself!
ALSO READ: How To Connect With Others And Make New Friends
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Comments: a cool article..i like it when an article gives me ideas on stickying so i can read it again and again. ~guest
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How To Focus Your Life With Goals – Motivation
Our minds can be tricksters, often choosing to draw us away from the life we want to lead rather than pursuing our dreams. Many people set goals only to let them languish, unsure of how they will achieve them. However, by taking time to think it through and planning ahead, you can make your life a source of creative inspiration throughout which you will find yourself controlled by no one but yourself.
Setting short-term goals is vital in encouraging you to get started and stay motivated along the way. It's not enough to say I want to start exercising, you need to know exactly how much time you'll need. Otherwise the goal will become a bench mark that has no meaning to you. The most important thing is to set yourself achievable goals, ones that you can reach in the time frame you have put down as your short term goal.
Conclusion
Get started on your goals without being distracted by everything around you. Once you have set them, start to focus on them, and be patient while working your way towards their accomplishment. The mental exercise of focusing on these goals will eventually become a well of motivation and self-confidence. We live in a busy world and it is easy to get caught up in the everyday opportunities that are available to us. It's important not to allow yourself to get sucked away by the distractions of materialistic things simply because they can make our lives easier for a short period of time.
Being totally focused on your goals can be very difficult but it is still worth the effort.