Goals Will Come With Some Pain

 This is why I believe that every goal should be realistic, measurable, achievable, specific, time bound, and result oriented. If you think you already achieved everything you wanted in life, then congratulations. But chances are, you haven't. Because no matter how much you've achieved in life, you always have room for improvement. 

 What's the purpose of your existence? Why are you here? Why did you come into this world? Is it all about material gain? Or is it about the search for meaning and fulfilment? There are many people out there who say they live their lives only for themselves, and not at all for anyone else. And yet, even if we take those people out of the equation, there are still millions of others around us whose sole mission in life seems to be self-enhancement. If we ask ourselves why we want to live our life any certain way, we may find ourselves thinking that it's because we want to make sure we enjoy the best possible version of our lives, and that we get to spend our days doing things we truly love. And if you really think about it, isn't that what everyone wants? Isn't that why we're all striving towards success? In my opinion, you shouldn't set a goal simply to become rich or powerful. Instead, you should set a goal to create wealth and significance for yourself, your family, and society. When you do that -- when you pursue greater contributions rather than material gains -- your life begins to take on a deeper meaning. Your work becomes a calling, and your aspirations begin to touch the hearts of others. Instead of setting a goal to get wealthy, you should instead set a goal to help others succeed. You'll find that over time, money will naturally flow toward you. So what is the answer to why you need a goal? 

 The answer is simple: Life is inherently meaningful, even without a goal in mind. As long as you're breathing and taking care of yourself, you're making progress toward whatever it is you were put on this planet to accomplish. But as you grow older, you realize that it's not enough to simply exist, to merely survive. We all desire more out of life. We all crave for fulfilment and significance. And that's where a goal comes in handy. When you set a clear goal in mind, you focus your efforts and attention on that particular endeavour. You stay laser-focused on that objective, and you can't possibly stray off course. 

And as a result, you're able to reach your desired end point faster and easier than ever before. Setting a goal is the first step toward achieving anything in life. Once you know what you want, you can do something about it. And once you start putting your energy behind a particular effort -- whether it's a hobby, a job, or a business -- you'll find that it doesn't stop until you achieve your goal. I'm a firm believer that if someone tells me he has never succeeded in his own dreams, then I'd probably conclude that he wasn't trying hard enough and that he was letting fear hold him back. At least, that's what I would tell myself. But in reality, I think it's often the opposite problem. We allow fear to paralyze us. We let ourselves be held back by the thought that we might fail or lose, so instead of pursuing our dreams, we lie down and die. We all have fears, and it's perfectly natural to feel afraid at times. But sometimes, our fears are irrational, and it's important to recognize that. 

 For example, let's say you have a fear of public speaking. That's normal. Everyone feels that way, at times. However, when you allow fear to dictate your actions and choices, then it can actually prevent you from reaching your full potential.

 What Is Your Goal? - Start With Yourself! 

 The first step to setting any goal is to ask yourself “What am I trying to accomplish here?" If there isn't already an answer to this question then you should probably work on answering it until it becomes clear. Setting specific goals is critical to building momentum towards reaching them. Without clearly defined goals, we might find ourselves working at cross-purposes towards our ultimate objective. Instead of taking action directed towards realizing those goals, we end up doing things unrelated to our true objectives. When we lack clarity about what we want, we tend to end up doing a lot of random activities without knowing where they take us. To avoid having to go back and revaluate your goals after many years of pursuing them, make sure that you know exactly what it is that you want out of life. Don't settle for vague ideas of where you'd like to be in the future. Make sure that you have a plan for how to get there. 

Once you've got a general idea of what you're looking for, start thinking about specifics. Before getting started, identify what's stopping you right now. There's no point in starting down a path if you aren't aware of the obstacles standing in your way. By identifying the barriers before you begin, you'll be able to set realistic expectations for accomplishing your goals. Once you've identified them, think about ways to overcome them. The best way to do this is to break down the big task you need to complete into smaller steps. Consider each one separately and devise strategies for overcoming its limitations. How Will You Measure Success? Once you've determined what you really want out of life, the next thing you'll want to figure out is how to measure success. 

Are you focused enough to keep yourself motivated over the long term? If you're not careful, you could spend months, years, even decades chasing dreams that ultimately prove useless. You may lose interest along the way because you never found a way to measure your progress. If you want to become successful, you need to understand that your success will involve both tangible results and intangible rewards. We often confuse tangible with measurable outcomes. While it's possible to quantify physical achievements like money, fame, or popularity, these types of measures are difficult to apply to goals meant to improve oneself. 

Measuring yourself by assessing the number of hours spent studying, the amount of weight you lost, or the number of pages you read in a week won't tell you anything about the quality of your personal growth. Instead of focusing on concrete measurements, consider what sort of experiences you value most. These might include improved relationships with friends and family, learning a new skill, increased freedom of expression, feeling closer to God, or simply enjoying the world around you. By choosing to pursue these kinds of experiences instead of just material gain, you ensure that your efforts are rewarding. 

 Who Can Help You Achieve Your Goals? 

 You should always remember that not everybody can help you achieve your goals. Sometimes, people who care about you can actually hinder your progress. Many people have unrealistic expectations of others, and that can prevent them from helping you find solutions to problems that might arise. Others may be jealous of your accomplishments, and they may try to sabotage your progress by keeping you busy with meaningless tasks. But fortunately, there are plenty of people in your network who can inspire you to move forward. Encourage them to join you on your journey. They can help you make decisions about your career, your finances, your social circle, and more. As you build relationships with these people, they may even become your closest supporters once you succeed.