What Is A Goal?
I'm sure you have heard the word "goal" more often than you can remember. You have hears this term used in hockey, soccer, and football. You've heard it used in space programs, fund raising, politics and peace keeping missions.
But, what does a "goal" really mean in your own life?Most dictionaries define the term "goal" as: a point marking an end; the object of effort; or ambition; a destination. And, here is how I define it: "A specific measureable occurrence, object or accomplishment that I would like to achieve, or obtain in the future. One where I develop concrete action plans to take me to where and what I want in the future."
The key component in this definition is that it points to a place where you want to end up and not to a place your are today. A goal statement is an investment in yourself; it clearly idenifies what YOU want, how you will get it, and when you will get it.
Look at large corporations, for example. They do not let their business just unfold as it may. Corporations set goals. They identify where they want to be. They develop detailed action plans that identifies the steps that each department needs to implement and accomplish to help get them there. They set time frames to accomplish each component of their action plan usually on a one year basis.
If you were to investigate unsuccessful corporations, you would find, in many cases, that their planning process was incomplete. When corporations become complacent, when they continue to conduct business without planning for the future, you can be assured that their longevity and survival is threatened. Why? Because their competitors, who plan for the furture, will soon overtake and surpass them thus contributing to their eventual failure.
The same analogy applies to professional athletes. If they did not set personal achievement goals for themselves, their chances of winning a gold medal, or a league title, would be slim. The same principles apply to every one of us no matter what your occupation, age, or education.
You can set a direct course for your future by defining your gaols, or you can take the opposite position and just let the future haphazardly unfold by itself. It is my prediction, however, that those who set goals, along with a clear and precise action plan, will accomplish more in their lifetime than those who are willing to let life evolve with little focus, and misdirected action.