How to decide on a goal?

Choosing a goal to pursue can be tricky. Whether you have many to choose from or struggling for inspiration, here are a few things you may want to consider.

Pick a goal that resonates with you

A goal that aligns with your values provides a source of intrinsic motivation when obstacles inevitably arise. Although one can argue that what we desire is ultimately shaped by the desires of others, I believe we can build a sense for when a goal strikes a chord within us.

Do I want a yacht because I have a passion for sea-faring? Or is it that social media has presented yacht ownership as a symbol of success? Do I want to become an investment banker? or would that be a respectable profession that’s easy to justify? To get to the core of what’s motivating our goals we can begin by asking “why”?.

Why?

For someone considering quitting smoking, the thought process might go something like this. “Why Do I want do I want to stop smoking? To improve my health. Why do I want to improve my health? So I can live longer. Why would I like to live longer? So I can spend more time with my children and grandchildren.” And so on.

If you can make it a few “why’s deep” then you likely have a goal that aligns with your values. Conversely, if you run out of answers, or your “why’s” keep linking to things external to yourself - societal expectations, keeping up appearances etc - than the goal might not be for you.

That’s not to say goals that fit under this umbrella aren’t worth pursuing in general. Rather, unless you’re pursuing them for reasons you truly believe in, achieving them will be more difficult and less rewarding.

What have I been avoiding?

If we were being honest with ourselves there’s probably a handful of issues that we already know need addressing, but we just never seem to get around to them. This is a great place to start if your struggling for ideas. While these problems may induce a certain level of anxiety within us, this anxiety is likely a signal that they warrant our attention.

It’s worth remembering that goal setting itself can be a form of procrastination; keeping ourselves busy while avoiding these more urgent tasks.

Don’t be afraid to start small

Behaviour change can be uncomfortable. Shedding our past selves in favor of an improved version requires concentrated effort and setbacks come with the territory. If you find a goal intimidating, consider that most goals can’t be achieved without first completing some smaller related goal along the way.

If you can currently do 3 pullups and your goal is to do 10, then first you have to be strong enough to do 4 then 5 and 6. These smaller goals are not only more manageable psychologically but are often more practical. Grand ambitions are great, but what matters most of all is that we’re moving in the right direction. “The longest journey starts with a single step” and all that.

If you found this useful you might like to try the completely free HabitAid Blueprint. To learn more visit the HabitAid home page.

Thanks for reading,

Mike