Answer These 5 Questions Before You Set Your Weekly Goals
#2 Will this goal help me become a better person?
One of the key reasons for setting goals every week is to minimise distractions as we patiently do the work to achieve our dreams. Sometimes it takes a while before we see the results, but setting the right goals and consistently showing up to complete them will pay off big time in the long run.
If you feel like you’re not progressing or that you’re struggling to complete your goals, maybe it’s time to pause and think to yourself:
“Am I setting the right goals?”
In the past few months, I’ve found that these 5 questions help me choose the right goals at the right time and define them in a way that guides me to actually do the work and complete them before the week’s done.
1. Does this goal align with my vision?
This is the most important question. If you’re choosing to spend your time on a goal that does not connect with the vision for where you want to be a year from now, then you need to go back and figure out your priorities.
2. Will this goal help me become a better person?
A great goal will help you become better at your job, at a skill, or connect you deeper in your relationships with loved ones. Everything’s connected. When you choose your weekly targets, think about how they can help you in every aspect of your life.
3. Can this goal be completed?
Vague pursuits like “I want to read more books” will leave us unsatisfied and confused. Having an end point gives the goal a meaning and it brings you motivation to do the needed work.
Simply replace “I want to read more books” with “I want to read X chapters from X book”. This helps you understand and visualise exactly what the next step is to get started.
4. Is this goal big enough to challenge me and small enough to achieve it?
As humans we often commit to more than we can handle. Multitasking is a game of Russian roulette, the price to pay — burnout.
“This week will I hit the point of burnout, or not?”
Committing to more than you can handle is never a good idea. Having said that, picking super easy goals will not do you any favour either. You need to strike a balance between goals that help you learn something new while they still feel achievable.
5. Can I share this goal with someone?
To pursue a dream is to spend a lot of hours in planning, execution and reflection. It can get lonely. When you recognise the people in your life that you can talk to about your goals, you activate a support network that will keep you motivated and inspired even when things get extra tough.
👉🏻 The bottom line: We are bigger than our goals, but the right goals can help us become better.
