The Secret of Goal Setting

‘He who gains a victory over other men is strong; but he who gains a victory over himself is all-powerful.’

-Laotzu

‘The doer alone is the one who learns.’

-Friedrich Nietzsche

What is the secret of goal setting?  Is it writing them down? A very helpful tactic, but not it.  Is it stating the goal in the present tense? Again, helpful, but not it.  I know - Is it setting a deadline? Another key component, but not the secret.

The secret of goal setting is the person that you become by pursuing your goals.

Achievement is awesome.  I cherish every single goal that I have achieved.  Whether it was graduating from college with honors, surpassing my annual income goal, or purchasing my first home, they all felt great.  Accomplishing a goal brings a rush of satisfaction and pride that makes all of the hard work pay off.

However, the journey is even better.  Our achievements may become less relevant as every day passes. Things we acquire can be taken away.    Our experience, knowledge and development cannot.  It is during the journey that takes place in pursuit of our goals where we truly grow.  The journey is where we learn.

We learn that we accomplish a lot more than we thought we could.  We learn how the little things impact the big things.  We learn our strengths.  We learn our weaknesses.  We learn our limitations, or lack of them.  Any way you slice it, we learn.

Here is another great aspect of the secret of goal setting.  We learn and grow whether we achieve the goal, or if we fail.  In fact, sometimes it is in the failure to achieve a goal where we learn the most.  There is no better learning experience than failure.  We learn what not to do.  Which can be even more valuable that knowing what to do.

Goals force us to do things differently.  They make us dig down deep and get creative.  They challenge us.  Start a new journey today.  Set and begin pursuing a goal that will challenge you.  No matter if you achieve it or not, the person you will become in pursuit will be worth it.

Kyle C. Ryan

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