Sometimes the simplest of behaviors can make a huge difference! If we wander aimlessly down a country road, we may look up and be in an unknown destination. We need a map or Google to guide us. That’s how goal setting works. You decide on your destination and then do the things that you need to do to get there. You dress and find you car keys, leave your house and go get gas. As you head down the highway you may plan where you will have lunch or what shops or sights you want to enjoy. Without a plan, your day off could be wasted along with your gas money. Goal setting is imperative for the success of any venture.
There are good, practical reasons to set goals.
1-Goals trigger behavior. If we say that we want to be healthy that’s a fine goal, but it’s too vague. We need to set specific goals to motivate specific behaviors. Personally, I really want to be at 15-17% body fat. Since I have specified this goal, I know to curb the carbs because in order to continue to get more lean, I simply cannot go over about 100 grams of complex carbs in a day.
2-Goals sustain momentum. When we achieve a goal we have a release of the reward nerotransmitter, dopamine. Achievement is literally addictive. We get into flow, wanting more of that feeling and get that “I’m on a roll!” feeling. We naturally move from one goal to another in this blissful state.
3-Goals guide your focus. Whenever we set a goal, we naturally think ahead to the next step ahead of where we are. The body truly achieves what the mind believes. The body follows the mind. When I focus on being at 15-17% instead of 18%, I naturally try harder in my workouts.
4-Goal setting and achieving those goals continually guide us and define who we are. We become the person who masters. We master small pieces of our lives and then those pieces go together to make a beautiful picture of who we are and who we want to become.
Set goals today and become the one who not only tries, but the one who succeeds.