At a fundamental level, why bother to have goals? For years, in key areas of my life I didn't bother with goals, enjoying life in the moment seemed enough. Getting older, with everything that brings, helps make you more aware (mostly through aches and pains), yet many people still resist having goals. Doing the right thing can be hard, and tiresome. Having a goal risks failure of course and nobody wants to feel that.
But, here's the rub, if you don't have goals, you fail by default. Without goals, there's no plan and therefore no strategy guiding your actions. Even if you want things, you'll be disconnected from the right way to get them if they are complex in nature. Life becomes simply what happens to you. Depending on luck for what you desire is not a strategy.
If nothing else, we all move forward in time, but what happens tomorrow is not yet determined, except getting older, you'll definitely get older (but even that doesn't have to completely suck). Life is diverse and many outcomes are possible. And this is key to the whole idea: not every outcome is of equal value. For everyone, some outcome are more desirable than others. At a basic level, being healthier is more desirable than being ill. Most would say having money is more desirable than being poor. Most would similarly agree that having friends is better than being lonely.
So if you have preferences for health, wealth and friends, but no goals, then in not seeking to meaningfully steer the outcome to the specific outcome you want (which is what a goal is), the chances are, you will likely end up with an outcome you don't want. What's more, a sub-optimal outcome is highly probable since there are usually many more undesirable outcomes than there are desirable ones.
The good news is, it is never too late to decide that you don't want to leave tomorrow to fate, but instead, you want to steer reality towards your preferred outcome. Time to set some goals. Even if it is just one goal, even if it is a very small goal, something is always better than nothing. That will be a key theme of this well-being stream, something is always better than nothing. And when you achieve your goal, and reality seems to accommodate you, when you seem to win instead of lose, then it is time to set a bigger, more ambitious goal. Goals are a major contributor to life success, if you don't have any currently, maybe it's time.
But, here's the rub, if you don't have goals, you fail by default. Without goals, there's no plan and therefore no strategy guiding your actions. Even if you want things, you'll be disconnected from the right way to get them if they are complex in nature. Life becomes simply what happens to you. Depending on luck for what you desire is not a strategy.
If nothing else, we all move forward in time, but what happens tomorrow is not yet determined, except getting older, you'll definitely get older (but even that doesn't have to completely suck). Life is diverse and many outcomes are possible. And this is key to the whole idea: not every outcome is of equal value. For everyone, some outcome are more desirable than others. At a basic level, being healthier is more desirable than being ill. Most would say having money is more desirable than being poor. Most would similarly agree that having friends is better than being lonely.
So if you have preferences for health, wealth and friends, but no goals, then in not seeking to meaningfully steer the outcome to the specific outcome you want (which is what a goal is), the chances are, you will likely end up with an outcome you don't want. What's more, a sub-optimal outcome is highly probable since there are usually many more undesirable outcomes than there are desirable ones.
The good news is, it is never too late to decide that you don't want to leave tomorrow to fate, but instead, you want to steer reality towards your preferred outcome. Time to set some goals. Even if it is just one goal, even if it is a very small goal, something is always better than nothing. That will be a key theme of this well-being stream, something is always better than nothing. And when you achieve your goal, and reality seems to accommodate you, when you seem to win instead of lose, then it is time to set a bigger, more ambitious goal. Goals are a major contributor to life success, if you don't have any currently, maybe it's time.
Author's note: I am a professional life and executive coach with a special interest in success and goal achievement. I work with individuals and groups to help them achieve their goals. I also undertake events and public speaking engagements. If you are interested in how I can help you or your organisation achieve your/its goals, without obligation, please get in touch via email (david at thecriticalcouple dot com) or via the contact tab on this website.