Everyone is so keen on discovering the secrets to greatness. Most of us even go as far as stalking all our successful favourites on social media hoping that maybe one day, they will share their real secrets on how they got to be so great and so well-established in life. The secret to greatness is, however, very simple and revolves around having a good plan and making yourself goals that you can revert to and use as a guideline in everything you do. Here is why having goals simply sets you up for greatness.
A Sense Of Purpose
By taking time to plan your goals, you give yourself clarity on what your purpose is. This gives you direction on what to aim for as well as what you desire in life and will save you energy from pursuing everything that is inconsistent with and unrelated to your talents and capabilities. Instead, you will be able to focus on one sole goal, reducing any confusion and enhancing your focus on achieving what you desire.
Personal Growth
By setting yourself up for success through setting your goals, you are forcing yourself to accomplish your desires despite whatever may be in the way. By doing this, you put yourself out of your comfort zone, allowing yourself room to overcome any areas of unfamiliarity and come out stronger and more established. You will be able to develop new skills that will serve you for a lifetime and you will find out that you may become resilient. Overall, your character will become better and more on the growth side as you tackle all the goals you plan for yourself. If this isn't the foundation of grace, then what is?
Motivation
Goals are a constant reminder that you should work hard. They serve to remind you, even on days that you are feeling lazy and unwilling to put in any effort, that you should try harder so that you can meet what you set for yourself. It is like an obligation that regardless of whatever is happening, you need to achieve whatever you set within the period you set it, thus motivating you to keep on working harder and trying everything you can. You will have meaning to your life, allowing you to stay determined and motivated even in the face of obstacles; therefore, you will be destined to achieve greatness in the end.
Measurable Progress
For you to even consider calling yourself great, you will be comparing yourself to another version of yourself that was less established than that version of yourself. When you set goals, you also set strategic plans that act as a checklist of you achieving your goals as well as a checklist to measure your progress. Being able to track your achievements, through measurable goals will help you see your development in your journey for greatness. You can not wake up great, but rather, you work step by step to become great. Through these measurable goals, you can take one step at a time towards greatness. By celebrating your small victories as you go, you may even find yourself more motivated to achieve greater goals as you go.
Mindfulness
One of the things that people should utilise the most is their ability to be mindful beings in life. Goals have this impact on people as you become accountable to them. Thus, everything you do and however you act is dictated by your goals. Instead of spending every weekend drunk and spending loads of money recklessly, setting goals will help you remember what the end goal is for you so every step you take will not just be random but calculated and anchored by your goals. Setting goals will allow you to let go of all superficial things as you will become more thoughtful about your actions, making you let go of the things that don't serve you or your goal (rightfully so).
They Help You Adapt To Change
If someone were to come with a cold bowl of water and throw it at you unexpectedly, you would probably feel colder due to the surprise effect than if someone were to tell you that they were going to throw cold water at you. This is the same thing when it comes to goals. Goals prepare you for the changes ahead and the changes involved in your life after choosing to prioritise certain things. The moment you pen down your goals, you can assimilate all the things surrounding that goal and overall, you'll be able to adapt to the changes quicker, making the changes sustainable and unrushed. This will make you great as you won't be scared off by the surprise effect but instead, would have worked your mind into understanding all underlying circumstances of the situation.
Development of Confidence
Confidence is one thing that is common among all great men. If you believe in yourself and if you believe that you can, then you are destined for greatness. Sometimes, the goals that people set may seem unachievable and unrealistic to you but what matters is the drive behind the goal. By trusting yourself to achieve great things, you will have the confidence to match what is required of you and in the end, you will achieve your goals. By reinforcing your capabilities and challenging streamlined ideas through your goals, you will find yourself not only achieving the goals but becoming confident in yourself, which is a quality for something bigger than success; ‘greatness’.