I liked the analogy I heard recently: “Keep your eyes on the horizon!”
In the context of the comment, it was regarding how important it is for us as humans to have individual goals set for our lives. Everyone should have short term, as well as life goals set as markers of what we want to accomplish and where we want to be at the end of it all.
“Without dreams and goals, there is no living, only merely existing, and that is not why we are here.” Mark Twain
By setting goals, you create a long-term vision; motivation becomes a by-product that leads a person to organize their time and resources, as well as acquire the knowledge necessary so that one can make the most of their life. Setting goals helps trigger new behaviours, helps guide your focus and helps you sustain a certain momentum through life.
In an article, The Science of Psychology Goal-Setting 101, read on positivepsychology.com, it states, “Goal setting in psychology refers to a successful plan of action that we set for ourselves. It guides us to choose the right moves, at the right time, and in the right way. In a study conducted on working professionals, Edwin A. Locke, a pioneer in the field of goal-setting, found that individuals who had highly ambitious goals had a better performance and output rate than those who didn’t (Locke, 1996).”
Whether or not the goals are met in the end is not really as important as who you become enroute. By disciplining oneself to focus on the goals at hand and work towards accomplishing them makes a much bigger difference in the person you become in the long run.
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” Zig Ziglar
When you set goals for your life and can see progress along the way, it creates a greater sense of believing in yourself as an individual. It also makes you realize what’s important in your life. Sometimes we don’t actually know what we want – we may think we want more money or a better paying job and that’s what we think will make us happy, but in actuality it’s about doing something we’re passionate about and spending more time with those we love.
If you have set out a clear path for your life and know where you want to go, there is a much greater chance of you hitting the mark.
We only have so much time here on this earth to do what we have set out for ourselves to accomplish so let’s not waste the time we’ve been given and get on with our aspirations.
Keep your eyes on the horizon!
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
