So you want to live your best life? Then you need to set goals for your personal and professional lives. Having goals will allow you to measure your achievements and your success. They will help you to improve those aspects that needs to change.
Before you begin to set your goals you need to identify what your best life looks and feels like. There are lots of ways to do this. You could write it down being as descriptive as possible and using the present tense as if you are living your best life right now. Or you could create a vision board with lots of pictures, words and quotes. If you really want to attract a successful outcome you could do both.
One important thing to remember about visualizing your best life is that it needs to inspire you and to be fulfilling. Nelson Mandela said, “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
So dream big. Think about your life purpose. What makes you happy? Inspires you? What legacy do you want to leave? Finding your passion and purpose is the crucial element to living your best life. Once you have found them you can then set your goals and create your plans.
Goal setting is important to creating your best life because it provides the following benefits:
Optimism: as you set goals, create plans and implement them you will see and feel yourself creating change in your life. These changes are positive and achieved by taking action. Each step is another towards your goal. You will feel proud of yourself as you achieve goals, reach milestones and see the changes you have made. These positive emotions create optimism for the future and help build strength and resilience to cope with change and any challenges you may encounter along the way.
Wellbeing: taking control of your life, deciding what you want to do with it and what you want to feel is incredibly empowering. Instead of feeling listless, unmotivated or depressed and anxious you will begin to discover a sense of excitement, curiosity, creativity, joy, passion and purpose. As you take action these positive steps will create positive emotions and the desire to continue to progress towards your end goal. You won’t want to settle for a humdrum existence when you have found the power to create the best life for you.
All of these positive emotions will reduce stress, anxiety and even depression. They will also affect your physical as well as your mental and emotional wellbeing.
Control: an often overlooked result of goal setting is control. By taking control of your life, envisioning the future you want through following your passion and purpose, you are acknowledging that life doesn’t just happen but can be shaped by you.
Your life is in your hands. You have the power to shape it to what you would like. However, to create your best life you first need to discover your passion and purpose. Only then can you set your goals and plan how to achieve it. Without those goals you reduce your chances of success as you won’t be able to recognize it when it happens.