Do goals destroy happiness and life satisfaction?

Yes. No. And it depends.

Like any worthwhile topic, goals, and goal setting hold a large amount of controversy.

On one hand, goals provide shiny objects for you to center your life around. Pretty handy in today’s torrential social media age.

On the other hand, goals can become unachievable and can lead to a delayed enjoyment of the present moment.

Goals can be pillars of direction for your life, as long as you set them properly and stick to them consistently.

So are goals right for you? If so, how should you set them properly to avoid getting stuck and feeling behind?

Why Set Goals In The First Place?

Goals are signposts of your life story.

They are the objects that you will remember in the years to come. In a way, your life centers around your goals.

Goals are not necessarily always going to be SMART.

Traditionally we assume that our goals need to be SMART or even SMARTER if you follow Michael Hyatt’s philosophy.

SMART= Specific + Measurable + Attainable + Relevant + Time tracked

But do all goals need to be SMART to be effective and meaningful?

What if your goal is to spend more time with loved ones, what if your goal is to smile more and feel grateful more often?

The reason we set goals often alludes to the true nature of our desires.

Set goals not because you want to get someone but because you want to be someone.

It’s not about revolutionizing your whole world as much as it’s becoming who you truly are one simple step at a time.

Related: 5 Reasons to Read a Book a Week (3 Reasons Not To!)

The Best Way to Set Goals

There is no perfect way to set goals.

Different methodologies work well for different people in different circumstances working on different goals.

There are a few lesser-known basic principles though:

Stop Following the 10X Rule For EVERYTHING

Seriously, just stop.

There’s a stigma in modern culture that all of our goals need to be huge and grandiose. They really don’t have to.

Stop trying to blow your goals out of proportion.

Well-intentioned individuals will tell you to make your goals larger and larger, to dream bigger.

Believe me, I’m all for dreaming bigger. But there’s a fine line between setting higher goals that will inspire you and setting unrealistic goals that will leave you feeling unsatisfied day-to-day.

Differentiate between your dreams, long-term goals, and short-term goals.

FOCUS-Follow ONE Course Until Successful

Keep the main thing the main thing. It’s that simple.

Don’t pick 100 goals or even 10 goals. Pick 3. Tops.

Set 1 goal, yes one, for each important area of your life. The more you compromise the less you concentrate, and the less that gets done.

Set your priority (singular), not your priorities.

Leverage Goals That Are Truly Important

“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”-Archimedes

Follow categories and trends of importance in your life, let the most important goals trickle down to all of the areas of your life.

Picking the right goals is just as important as following through with them. Pick the right goal and the rest of your life will come together.

Related: 9 Things I’ve Learned Quitting Social Media As A College Student

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Some meaningful points to remember about setting goals:

-Goals can give you a high point, something to look forward to.

-Goals can deter your sense of self-worth.

-Goals can delay the gratification process.

-Goals can take away from what’s really important: the present moment.

-Not all achievements can be neatly formulated into SMART goals.

-Goals deal with the left side of the brain (technical) but don’t necessarily incorporate the right side of the brain (creative).

Achievement vs. Process

Goals reward achievement, habits reward the journey.

There is a large gap between achieving something and living something.

Achieving your largest goals and your wildest dreams is like taking a snapshot of your life.

The achievement and glory only last a second, but the process lasts a lifetime.

Process is what you do every day, process is the life and goals are the checkpoints.

Without a process, a goal is nothing but an arbitrary point. Without a goal, a process is endless and meaningless.

Set goals, set habits processes, use all of the tools in your arsenal to press forward in your life.

Related: 5 Solid Steps to Building Unbreakable Habits

Habit And Process Setting Methodology

Start your process building strategy by breaking larger time frames into more realistic segments.

Break everything down into monthly, weekly, and daily habits that are actually attainable.

Don’t try to do everything at once, set it in layers. This week take a cold shower every day, next week read a book for two minutes before bed.

Break habits down into achievable habit chains and use productivity hacks to boost your energy levels so you can achieve more goals

And last but not least…

Show up Daily and Play Full Out.

Are you interested in learning more about building your goals? Get in touch with me so we can work together towards your meaningful goals and processes.

Class Dismissed,

Chris Chan