We all wish to live a meaningful life. But what does it mean to lead a meaningful existence? We read self-help books and attend seminars to get an answer. And they all advise us to become goal-oriented in our lives.
They say that a life without goals is not worth living. And we all agree with this statement. So for a few days, we pay attention to setting short-term and long-term goals. But gradually, we lose motivation and forget about our little diary of goals.
This happens because we don’t know the practical ways to become goal-oriented. And what seems easy in a book is pretty tough to achieve in real life.
So sometimes, you need to be smart with how you set your goals and achieve them. And In this article, we will list practical ways to become goal-oriented!
Let’s start by understanding what it means to be goal-oriented.
What is Goal Oriented?
Goal-oriented means having an individual willingness to achieve a goal set. This willingness encourages and orients the person to develop habits to reach the results expected on this specific goal.
Who Is a Goal-Oriented Person?
A goal-oriented person always has a set of goals in mind. These can be numerous short-term goals that she wants to achieve within a deadline. And these goals will indeed include long-term goals that keep her going.
Her sense of purpose drives her to achieve goals. As a result, she gets things done on time. Just by watching her work, you can tell she means business. Her work involves immaculate planning, and she always manages to deliver results.
You must have a few such employees at your workplace. So, what is it that these super-productive colleagues do differently?
Well, the goals they set give their work a set pattern. They aren’t working because they have to. They have goals to achieve, and that’s why they don’t lose focus.
When we don’t lose focus, we perform better. Also, the benefits of being goal-oriented go beyond our work lives. It gives us a sense of purpose in every aspect of our lives. In everything from our work to health, being goal-oriented makes a huge difference.
So, Let’s look at the many benefits of being goal-oriented.
Benefits of Becoming Goal-Oriented
Helps You Stay Motivated
Feeling demotivated is a terrible feeling. But why does it happen? More often, it is because our life lacks a purpose.
We go through our days for the sake of it and sleep. Being goal-oriented can make a massive difference to our motivation levels.
First of all, setting goals gives you that sense of purpose. And when you achieve these short-term goals, you feel a sense of achievement. You start feeling confident and good about yourself. And this newfound confidence can work wonders for your life. Overall, goal setting has a positive effect on your psychology.
Helps You Focus
When you don’t set goals, it’s hard to focus on the task at hand. After all, why are you working for? For the salary you get at the end of every month? But, unfortunately, that’s not enough to help you focus.
When you have goals in mind, your work has “why.” And when you have that, it becomes simpler to focus. You work harder and with much more efficiency. You start focusing on the little things, and the quality of your work improves.
And where did it all start? Right when you decided to become goal-oriented!
Helps You See the Bigger Picture
When you have a set goal in mind, you see the bigger picture. Minor setbacks don’t bother you anymore. Why? Because you have your eyes set on your long-term goals. And you can see yourself slowly progressing towards them.
That’s how being goal-oriented affects your mindset. It fills you with positivity and steers you away from defeatism. When you achieve your short-term goals, the sense of achievement feeds your confidence.
As a result, you become someone who delivers without fail!
Helps You Measure Progress
The short-term goals we reach give us a sense of achievement. But there’s one significant benefit of short-term goals. Well, when you don’t set goals, how do you know if you’re improving?
There’s no way you can quantify your months of hard work. So that’s where short-term goals come in.
Goal-oriented people can analyze their progress. They set goals based on where they want to be in a few months. When they reach the deadline, they can ask themselves. Am I where I wanted to be? Even if they fail to complete some of their goals, they can measure their progress.
In the long run, this self-awareness is crucial for growth. You will know how much in the water you are. But you will also learn how far you have come. The sense of achievement motivates you to keep working hard. And the shortcomings keep you from getting complacent.
Five Practical Methods to Become Goal-Oriented
Now we know the benefits of becoming goal-oriented. But what are some practical ways to do it? Let’s talk about some practical methods that will help you start your journey! Here are five practical ways that will assist you on your goal-setting journey.
Write Them Down
We can’t reiterate this point enough. Unfortunately, people often underestimate the power of writing down their goals.
First of all, if you can’t bother writing them down, are you serious about achieving them? After all, it will only take a few minutes to put them on paper.
By writing down your goals, you’re telling yourself how important they are. Your subconscious mind reads this, and you work hard to achieve them. However, when you don’t write down your goals, you start forgetting them. That’s because you’re not as serious about achieving them as you thought you are.
So, start by putting your goals on paper. Only then should you begin planning ways to achieve them. It would be best if you keep your goals close by. You can keep them in your wallet and refer to them every once in a while. It will keep you going in the right direction. And we all need a slight push sometimes, don’t we?
Start by Planning Your Day
People often agree to start setting goals. They feel motivated and write down a set of goals. But the motivation quickly dies, and they forget about them. This happens because they don’t have a plan in place to achieve them.
That’s why you need to start by planning your day. Being goal-oriented is not only about setting short-term and long-term goals.
For example, say you set a short-term goal for the end of the week. You want to complete your graphic designing portfolio before the weekend. Can you achieve it if you don’t have a plan of action?
When you have a plan, you know what to do by when. For example, you start working on your portfolio on Tuesday. You know how much you need to get done on Tuesday. This way, you can divide the work neatly and complete your portfolio on time.
Review Your Progress
We discussed measuring progress in the previous section. Most goal-oriented people do that to track results. But, again, don’t write down your goals and forget them. Please keep coming back and review them. Also, keep ticking off the ones you have achieved.
On a psychological level, reviewing your goals etches them on your subconscious. After a while, you won’t have to look at your goals. That’s because you will always have them at the back of your mind. And such a mindset is what we call goal-oriented.
Spend Time Around Goal-Oriented People
There’s no shortage of negative people out there. We all know someone great at playing the blame game. They never take accountability for their actions. Such people are the exact opposite of goal-oriented people. And you must avoid mixing with them at all costs.
Do you want to become goal-oriented? Start networking with passionate, driven people. Mix with those who love to talk about their goals and how they plan to achieve them. These are people who don’t resort to blaming at the slightest crisis.
Start talking about your goals and how you plan to achieve them. Even if you’re new to goal setting, these passionate individuals will motivate you to keep going. In the long run, being around such people will transform your personality.
Prioritize
Prioritizing tasks helps you organize your work. Which of the tasks you have to complete today? What tasks can wait till tomorrow? Give priority to tasks that drive you towards your goals. This way, you spend your energy where you should.
Remember, we discussed the importance of planning your day. Prioritizing your tasks will help you plan your day in an organized way.
Grab a Pen and a Notepad
So, what are you waiting for? Are you still thinking about all the things you always wanted to achieve? Grab a pen and a notepad and start writing them down. As we said, it all begins with putting your goals on paper.
We wish you all the best on your journey to reach all your goals!
Ranu Kumari is a Professional Writer and a Marketing enthusiast who currently runs her own Marketing Consultancy, LatitudeBOX. She has written promotional articles for multiple brands and has published her work in Scopus indexed journals. She is passionate about expressing her thoughts and ideas to connect with her readers in a voice that they understand.
Great article! Keep up the good writing.