The Benefits of Goal Setting

By Bayo Ogunmupe Having failed at various points in my life, I decided to commit myself to the study of success. I read biographies, history of nations and bible characters to learn what works and what doesn't. I recommend this to you too, for it pays to study successful people. It also pays to take note of your own failures and the failures of others. Though mistakes and missteps are inevitable in life, failure often provides much benefit as success as long as you are paying attention. My study of successful achievement shows hundred percent of great people take full responsibility for their actions and decisions. Goal achievers invest their all: time, energy and financial resources in their goals. Many joined clubs, changed communities and organizations hired coaches and mentors in order to gain mastery over the art of goal setting. There are many identifiable ways goal setting benefits your life. Here are some landmark benefits of goal setting. One, it gains you greater peace of mind knowing you are wasting your life in the area of your chosen career. Consciously creating your destiny, living the life of your own design gives you much joy and happiness. Two, setting goals gives you clarity of purpose. The pursuit of goals gives your life greater meaning. People who actively and systematically pursue meaningful goals exude greater confidence and sense of purpose. Goals help us navigate our journey through life and are a reflection of who we are. Three, goals enable us gain greater productivity and focus. Focused people direct their day, instead of the day directing them. People with goals are less likely to waste their time on unimportant matters. When you know your outcome, you avoid distraction, you know where to invest your time and energy. Four, goal setting helps you achieve greater personal growth. Whenever you pursue a new goal outside your comfort zone, you contribute to your own personal growth and advancement. Pursuing goals stretches you, it enables you understand your strengths and weaknesses.And indeed, nothing in the world will give you a zest for life greater than consistent growth. Five, with this you attain a higher quality of life. Simply, people with goals get more out of life. Having a goal means you value your time and make the most of it. When you know what you want and have a plan to get there, the journey is a lot more fun than having neither plans nor goals. Goal setters are happier and more fulfilled. When you are happy, you love and care for yourself better and you give more of yourself to the people you love. Since like attracts like, happy people attract happiness to others. Six, when you have a goal and are pursuing it, you attract a higher quality peer group who can help you. people with goals attract other people with goals of their own. And by the law of association, you become like the people you hang out with. Seven, goals increase your self confidence and self esteem. When you are committed to a goal and invest the very best of yourself to it, you gain greater confidence and self esteem regardless of success or failure in its attainment. People without goals never venture outside of their comfort zones, they sell themselves short therefrom. Eight, by having goals you contribute to the good of others. Whether or not you know it, someone is looking up to you. Like your children, they are sponges, absorbing the words you speak and the actions you take. Your behaviour serves as model to the people around you. It could be your sibling, coworker or the kid down the street, someone is fashioning himself out in your model. Thus, as you are acting out a goal, you are a shining example of one who is moving towards realizing his full potential in life. Whenever you are pursuing a goal, you are inspiring others to do likewise. Nine, goals help you become a better person. Never set goals for what you can gain, set goals for what they will make you; set goal for what you become along the way, the opinion leader you become in society. When you have goals and follow through, you develop the skill of overcoming obstacles. People who follow through on their goals develop inner strengths and unshakeable characters. But people without goals never discover how great they can become. They never awaken their dormant gifts and talents. Finally, here comes the greatest benefit of setting goals: each individual goal you set brings its own unique positive benefit to your life. Setting goals gives you the clarity, the motivation and the fuel to overcome obstacles all the way through to the completion of your goals. If you cannot visualize and revel in the completion of your goal you had better not set forth in the first place.