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GOOOAAALLL!
In soccer, getting a goal is a great accomplishment. It’s not an easy task, but hard work and practice make it possible. And when a goal is scored, a celebration is inevitable. That’s how goals work in life, too.
What are goals? If soccer players didn’t have a goal to strive for, they’d just be running around and kicking a ball in a big field. Not much sense in that, is there? And yet, so many of us go through life without a set plan of where we want to go and what we want to do. That’s why we need goals.
What exactly is a goal?
“A goal is a wish with a deadline,” says Jane Pollak, a successful goal-setter and author of Soul Proprietor. A goal is more than just a dream or fantasy; it’s something that you take action toward. It’s something you go after, no matter what.
“Unless you have goals of your own,” Pollak says, “you’ll spend your life doing what others want you to do.” You’ll take classes because your friends want you to, not because you’re interested in the subject. You’ll choose the college that your parents attended, not one that specializes in what you want to study. You’ll live your life meeting others’ expectations rather than following your own passions.
How do goals work?
Stacey Dales-Schuman, a guard with the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, didn’t follow the pack. While attending high school in Canada, she set the goal of getting a basketball scholarship to a college in the United States. She knew that just hoping she’d get the scholarship wouldn’t make it happen, so she wrote down her dream and took the steps needed to achieve it.
Lots of practice, determination and drive led Stacey to meet her goal: a scholarship to the University of Oklahoma. Then, onto the NCAA final four and the WNBA. Who knows where she’ll go next? She does, because Stacey’s got goals! “Goals are motivational tools,” she says. “They emphasize why you’re doing what you’re doing. They’re the reason behind everything.”
Where can I get some?
So you know what goals are and how they can help you, but how do you go about setting them? Pollak suggests you ask yourself: “If I could live to be 100 without any concerns about health or money or anything, what would I do?” Make a list of 100 things you would do, and then look for patterns. You may find you have a tendency toward entertaining, or that you want to help others. Create your goals around what’s most important to you.
It’s not always easy, though. Some of us have a slew of interests in a wide variety of areas. If that’s the case, Susan B. Wilson, author of Setting Goals, says, “Ask yourself, ‘What do I know I don’t want to do?’” Look for patterns in this list as well. If you say you never want to see the inside of another classroom, you’ll know not to set the goal of becoming a teacher.
The most important thing to do when setting goals is to be honest with yourself. Wilson says, “Is it something you really want? Or is it something your parents want? Or something others tell you you’re good at?” You need to make your own choices based on your own commitments. No one else can meet your goals for you; no one else should make them for you.
Take those goals to work
After you decide on a goal, write it down many times. Post it on your mirror. Carry it in your wallet. Tape it to your locker. Put it everywhere as a constant reminder of where you’re going. But just writing the goal won’t make it happen. Break your big goal into several smaller goals. Then, keep breaking those down until you have a daily plan of exactly what you need to do to reach those goals.
Be willing to change your mind
There will be times when the goals you set turn out to be different than what you expected. They may require more commitment than you’re willing to give. They may involve aspects you never considered. Or, they may not be what you truly want to do. That’s OK! Goals are your agreements with yourself, so they can be easily changed or altered according to your needs.
So what are you waiting for? Don’t run around aimlessly around the field of life. Grab that ball and make your own goals! Article provided by 
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