“5 Questions to Ask Before Pursuing a Goal”
It’s easy to come up with a bunch of impressive goals that sound good when you share them with others. But before you plunge head-first into getting them done, ask yourself these 5 questions to see if it’s even worth your time and energy.
- Is this really my goal?
We often fall into the trap of choosing our goals based on what’s popular or to satisfy other’s expectations of us. So it’s worth taking the time to be honest about why this is a goal you want to pursue.
If no one knew you were working towards this goal, would you still be excited to pursue it in silence? Make sure that you have the right intentions and motivations for the goals you set for yourself. You are the one who will be putting in the work and making sacrifices. Make sure you are going after this goal for your own satisfaction and no one else’s.
- What does the best outcome look like?
After you establish who the goal is truly benefitting, then clarify exactly what reaching your goal looks like for you. What’s the perfect outcome? Be very specific.
If your goal is to lose weight, then clarify how many pounds you want to lose, the areas of your body that you want that weight loss in, and how reaching that goal weight would change things for you. If your goal is to save money, then come up with a specific amount, the date you want it saved by, and what your plans are for that savings down to the penny. What do you think it will feel like to get your goal done?
Visualize what it will be like and burn that into your brain. Meditate on it daily to help you along when you get weary, discouraged, or impatient.
- Do I have a strategy?
Even the best intentions won’t help you if you don’t have a clear plan. Don’t set yourself up for failure by failing to plan properly. After you become crystal clear on the outcome of your goal, then you will be in a better position to create a strategy.
Be honest about where you are now and where you want to be so that you can effectively map out how to get to your desired destination. Make your plan fool-proof. Give yourself step-by-step instructions so that all you have to do is commit to staying consistent with the plan you’ve created.
It may take some time and a lot of thought to establish at first, but it will be worth it to have the steps already in place. If you decide to wing it and create your strategy as you go, then your plan will be dependent upon how you feel day-by-day instead of what will get you the desired result.
- Am I willing to pay the price?
Now that you’ve counted the cost of what your goal requires, then ask yourself if you are truly willing to pay the price for it. Be completely honest with yourself because if not, then it wouldn’t be worth it to spend your time and energy on starting something you won’t finish.
Many people fail at completing their goals simply because they skipped this step. Asking this question helps you to make a commitment to yourself. When you are tempted to give up, you’ll remember answering “yes” to this question and (hopefully) decide not to give up on yourself. Chances are the outcome will outweigh the price of the sacrifice.
- Does this goal support the life I want to live?
Your future is made up of todays. Your dream is just a collection of isolated decisions. So what’s the overall vision for your life? Does each goal you have support that vision?
The idea is that all of your completed goals will combine to create the dream life that you want to live. Don’t waste your time on goals that are irrelevant to that.
For each goal you have, ask yourself how accomplishing it will add another necessary piece of the puzzle to create the life you have in mind for yourself. If you don’t know where your goal fits in with that, then it may not be necessary.
There are very few things more defeating than having to give up on a goal or continuing to recycle the same goals you’ve been trying to achieve year after year. It’s time to be more intentional about the things we plan to achieve and work to set ourselves up for success
Stay Encouraged & Be Blessed
-Constance
