Goals in life: how to set them

Having goals in life can give you direction and meaning. Here you can find out what effects it has on you to have such goals and how you can set them for yourself.

Sometimes doing certain things can feel a little meaningless. This can lead to you not doing some things at all because you lack the meaning. If you’ve been in this situation before, setting goals in life might help. These can serve as your motivation.

We have summarized for you why it can help to have goals and what further effects this can have on you. We also have tips for you on how to set yourself goals in life and achieve them.

Why having goals can help you

Setting goals in life can be helpful in itself. This is how you specify for yourself what exactly you want to achieve. But that’s not the only thing that has a positive impact on you.

There are some studies on the subject that look at the effects of goals in life. A University of Florida study found that setting goals can generally be motivating for you. Also, the way you carry out the tasks and the like will be affected by whether you have set goals. Because when you have goals in life, you generally work harder to achieve them, and you also find some purpose in doing certain tasks.

In addition, you usually perform these tasks with better results, which another study found out as early as 1980. In this study, some mechanisms could also be identified that influence the fulfillment of tasks through set goals in life. You can find these mechanisms below:

1. Focus – When you set goals, you focus your attention and actions on achieving them.

2. Mobilization – Also, it allows you to better mobilize your energy or effort.

3. Increase in Time and Endurance – You spend more time on your goals.

4. Developing Strategies – When you set goals, you develop personal strategies to help you achieve them.

Goals in life: More positive effects

In addition to the impact that goal setting in life can have on your performance, there are other positive effects. When you set goals, you get to know yourself better; you deal with what you want for yourself and your life. In the course of this, you will also become clearer about your dreams and you can better focus on achieving them.

You also become more proactive when you set goals in life. Because that way you determine what you want and you take personal responsibility for achieving it. You can live more self-determined and thus be more independent of others. These clear goals can also help you make decisions because you are clear about the outcome you want to achieve with them. Achieving some of your goals leads to a sense of accomplishment, which usually makes you happier. Achieving your goals also requires you to overcome certain hurdles, which in turn boosts your self-confidence.

This is how you set your goals in life

In addition to the effects of goals in life, it is of course also important that you set goals in the first place. We have summarized here how you can best find your own goals:

1. At first, it can be helpful to think about which areas of your life you want to set goals for. Examples of different areas could be: family, career, finance, health, education and relationships.
2. Write down what you want to achieve in the areas that are important to you. Then think critically: Are there perhaps things that you supposedly have to achieve because others or society want it that way? If so, then check your goals to ensure that they only correspond to your wishes and ideas.

When you’ve done that, you should have goals that you really want to achieve in your life. Try to formulate them SMART afterwards. SMART stands for:

• Specific: Make your goals as specific as possible and think about what that means for you in your life. For example, instead of just noting “less packaging waste,” specify, “I’d like to order less food to take home and cook more myself.”

• Measurable: Define your goals in such a way that you can “measure” them, i.e. check them. This is important, because if they can be measured using numbers, you can also see for yourself whether you have achieved them. This can look like this, for example: “I have to write two pages a day for the bachelor thesis” or “I would like to use the bike three days a week instead of the car” or “I only want to eat meat once a week” and so on .

• Attractive: Your set goals should be attractive. Because if they aren’t, you may find it difficult to devote energy and time to them. It’s good to internalize a strong “why” for each goal.

• Realistic: If you set your goals, you are welcome to dream big. However, it is important that you remain realistic and set goals that you can actually achieve.

• Time-bound: It is also important that your goals are time-bound. That doesn’t mean two months or something like that, but that you have an exact date when you want to have achieved a certain goal.

By the way: Goals are based on the SMART principle, especially on a larger scale. You can see that in Germany’s climate targets, for example.

It can also be helpful if you break down your goals into long-term and short-term goals to make them more tangible. A certain commitment is also important, so depending on the goal, look for allies who have the same or similar goals. This way you can encourage each other to achieve your goals. If you don’t have anyone around you who has similar goals, you can also tell someone about your goals and make them a promise to achieve them.

Finally, it’s important to keep your goals in mind so you know what you’re working towards. You should also review your goals from time to time and revise them if necessary if they have changed.

Read more on Techzle.com:

• Intrinsic motivation: Characteristics and importance for your everyday life

• Through self-reflection to more self-confidence and mental health

• Self-motivation: How to overcome your weaker self