The Power of Goal Setting

BY DANIEL COLE

Zig Ziglar was right when he said, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” Goals are like a compass that guides us through life, without goals, we only go through life drifting. A life with no sense of direction is not worth living. The truth is, if a riverbed remains unchanged, the water will continue to flow along the path it always has since that is the most natural route for it to take. If the underlying structure of your life remains unchanged, the greatest tendency is for you to follow the same direction your life has always taken. If you don’t set goals, you leave the outcomes of your life to luck and random chance. Life should be lived intentionally and decisively.

Goal setting does not only give you a sense of direction, it also helps you decide what your priorities are. I couldn’t agree more with the former United States Secretary of States, who once said, “Education is of no value and talent is worthless – unless you have an unwavering aim. Never find yourself without a compass.” Brian Tracy has rightly said, your life only gets better when you get better. And sometimes, it always starts by sitting down and deciding what you want out of life. To make 2021 a year of significance and meaning, start by deciding what exactly you want out of it. Start by setting goals. A goal is not a goal, if it’s not written down, there’s power in documenting what you want. Don’t have it in your head, have it written out. An undocumented goal is only a wish, and if wishes were horses, even beggars would ride.

Life doesn’t answer to wishes, life answers to goals. Goals are well-defined objectives with timelines and actions steps. Stephen Kellogg has rightly said, “The moment you put a deadline on your dream it becomes a goal.” If you are not in the habit of setting goals, make 2021 a starting year. The American Author, Augustine “Og” Mandino once wrote, “The victory of success is half won, when one gains the habit of setting and achieving goals.” You need to focus your time, energy, resources, and emotion towards a well-defined, and clear objectives. And that is why you need to start setting goals. There are different areas in your life, I’d recommend you start setting goals in. Namely; family, career, financial, health, personal development, spiritual, and social goals.

Life requires balance, hence why you need to focus on different areas of your life while setting your goals. In the new year, make a promise or commitment to yourself that you will not drift through the year. Set goals that are daring. Set goals outside the bounds of your accessible resources, be realistic but don’t hold yourself back. Your life will expand to the degree of your expectation. Decide to make the new year your best year ever. Dream new dreams, expand your horizon. Start that business. Go for the degree, make a down payment for that new home. Write that book. Take steps towards that wedding you have been putting aside. Make that proposal. The reality is, we never know what is possible until we try.

Push the boundaries of your own limit. Don’t be passive. Remember that time is all you have in exchange for everything you want in life. Make 2021 count. As you set your goals for the coming year, do not be overly concerned about the How. Life demands we take risks to live it to the fullest. Faith is not needed if you can accurately predict all the outcome of your choices.

What will really make the year new is the new you coming into the new calendar. Let the world meet the new you. I wish all the readers a prosperous 2021. Remember, it’s never crowded at the top.