Over the last few years, we’ve all become accustomed to using GPS way-finders such as Google Maps, TomTom, and Waze. These super-helpful apps enable us to walk, cycle, and drive to our chosen destinations following the shortest, quickest, or even most picturesque routes.
But think for a moment how useless these apps would be if you didn’t choose a destination. Suddenly, the impressive technology would grind to a halt. With no destination, the apps would be unable to create a route and unable to provide any assistance to you.
What does this tell you?
Having a destination is vitally important.
And it’s the same in all areas of life. If you don’t know where you are going to, then you’ll likely go nowhere!
This is why you must have life goals, specific targets to aim for. These are things that will energize and motivate you to keep moving forward.
Let’s look now at exactly what life goals are and how you can create and put them into action in your life.
Table of Contents
What Are Life Goals?
Life goals are just as the name suggests: Goals that can play a major part in shaping your life.
Some examples of life goals include:
- To get fit
- To build a circle of supportive friends
- To become a thought leader
- To learn a new language
- To write a book
- To become debt-free
- To take up a new hobby that you’ll enjoy for the rest of your life
Of course, there are no limits to what life goals you might choose. We all have our unique experiences and skills, so what works for you may not work for someone else.
Choosing Your Goals
The trick to choosing life goals is to spend some time looking at all areas of your life.
One of the best ways to do this is to take our free online life assessment: Are You Living a Full Life?
This assessment will take you no more than 10 minutes to complete and will generate a detailed report showing you how to live your life to the fullest.
In addition to the assessment, I recommend you analyze specific areas of your life to see where your strengths and weaknesses are. The six life aspects are a good place to start this journey:
1. Physical Health
If your health is below par, your energy and drive will be affected, too. This will hinder your ability to achieve your aims. The good news is, however, that through simple changes, like improving your diet and exercising more, you can transform your health.
Goals to consider in this life aspect are:
- Losing weight
- Building muscle
- Increasing stamina
- Learning how to relax
2. Family and Relationships Fulfillment
Our success and well-being depend heavily on our relationships. Negative people can knock you off track, while positive people can help and support you throughout your life. It’s also important that you have a partner or close friend that you can share your fears, dreams, and goals with.
Goals to consider in this life aspect are:
- Spending less time with negative people
- Spending more time with positive people
- Being grateful for your loving and supportive relationships
- Widening your circle of friends to increase your influence
3. Work and Career Prosperity
Who doesn’t want a rewarding job or career? However, many people do not have these things. They feel miserable at work every day. However, life doesn’t have to be like this. You can break free from this trap by setting clear and realistic targets.
Goals to consider in this life aspect are:
- Getting promoted
- Changing careers
- Setting up your own business
4. Wealth and Money Satisfaction
Not having enough money to do the things you want to do is frustrating, but for some people it’s even worse — they have debts that keep increasing every month. Clearly, money management is a vital skill and one that should really be taught in our schools.
However, it’s never too late to get your finances in order. Your focus should be on offering a service to the world. If it’s something that people need, then you should charge fairly for it and enjoy the rewards.
Goals to consider in this life aspect are:
- Becoming a master of money management
- Paying off your debts
- Finding ways to earn more
- Learning how to invest your spare income
5. Spiritual Wellness
Many people take comfort in believing in a power greater than themselves. It allows them to be humble and to keep their lives in perspective. It also offers them strength in times of difficulty. In my experience, spiritual wellness will definitely help you with your physical, emotional and mental wellness.
Goals to consider in this life aspect are:
- Learning how to meditate
- Joining a spiritual group
- Reading (and contemplating) classic religious and philosophical books
6. Mental Strength
If your mind is weak, you’ll also be weak-willed. This means that you’ll find it hard to achieve the things you want. But if you can develop mental strength, then you’ll have focus, drive, and conviction. You’ll go from being a wishy-washy non-achiever to someone who gets things done!
Goals to consider in this life aspect are:
- Building new habits
- Developing your skills and knowledge
- Playing games like Sudoku and chess
- Pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone
I suggest you take plenty of time to think about the six life aspects. Hone in on the areas that you are weakest at, and make these your starting point.
For example, if your health is holding you back, then set life foals that will revitalize you. These could include things like: waking up early, cutting back on caffeine and sugar, and going for a daily walk, run or cycle. (Ideally, you could set a goal to do all these things.)
Putting Life Goals Into Action
Of course, it’s not enough to choose some goals that you’d like to achieve in your life — you also need to make a plan to achieve them!
My recommendation is that you pick just two or three small goals to start with. Set a date to accomplish them by, and then write down the necessary steps you’ll need to take to make the goals a reality.
For instance, if you’ve lost the “reading habit” but would like to rekindle it, you could set yourself a goal of reading one book per month. The steps to achieve this would be:
- Choose a book you’d like to read
- Purchase or lend the book from a library
- Check the amount of pages the book has
- Calculate how long it will take you to read each page
- Calculate how long it will take you read the whole book
Once you know how many hours it will take you to complete the book, it will then be straightforward to plan how many times a week you should set aside for reading and how long each reading session should be.
If it’s been a while since you’ve read a book, then the first month might be hard for you. But after that, you’ll begin to build the habit, and you’ll have no problem reading one or more books per month.
If non-fiction titles are your thing, you’ll be able to learn a tremendous amount over the course of a year. If fiction titles are your thing, then imagine the journeys you’ll go on!
When you accomplish your smaller goals, you’ll be ready to choose bigger and more substantial goals.
The secret behind being able to accomplish big goals is to break then down into bite-size chunks. This will make the goals easier to achieve as you’ll have clear steps to take you all the way to the end. Plus, at any point in time, you’ll be able to see how far along the path you are.
Final Thoughts
If you fail to have life goals, you’ll likely fail at life.
There is a big difference between just hoping that something good will come along and having a clear picture of what you want and then taking definite steps to get it.
Once put into action, life goals will transform your existence. You’ll be happier, healthier, and more successful.
Now, you just need to make a start. As Lao Tzu once said:
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
More Tips on Setting Life Goals
- 23 Goals in Life to Achieve for Personal Success
- The Ultimate List of 29 Goals for Living a Fulfilling Life
- How to Stay Motivated and Reach Your Big Goals in Life
Featured photo credit: Jordan Madrid via unsplash.com
