Identify your life's weekly and daily goals to zero in on what's important to you. As you set goals your life will become more focused. Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of "The Chicken Soup for the Soul" series of books, recommends taking 15 minutes to write down 101 of your life goals. By doing so in a limited time you are likely to create an authentic list. You may even recognize patterns that indicate priorities of which you were not previously aware. For example, if many of your goals involve eating more nutritiously, going to the gym and drinking more water, perhaps getting healthy is one of your top priorities.
Pursuing your goals encourages growth and widens your outlook. In her book, "The Happiness Project," Gretchen Rubin writes, "it isn't goal attainment, but the process of striving after goals--that is, growth--that brings happiness. Growth explains the happiness brought by training for a marathon, learning a new language...cooking your way through every recipe in a Julia Child cookbook."
Aiming for worthwhile goals can improve your life. If you want to save 10 percent of your paycheck for the next six months you can improve your financial status. "It is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices," writes Darren Hardy, author of "The Compound Effect." Consistent steps toward your goals equals results. Set money, work, health, family and friendship goals. Be specific. If you want to lose weight, write down how many pounds instead of simply, "lose weight." Also write down the actions you will take to reach your goals.
When you set goals you are deciding how you want to spend your time. Once you have a clear plan, you can reduce your wasted time. Brian Tracy, author of "Goals: How to Get Everything You Want Faster Than You Thought Possible," writes, "People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine." Your goals will help you to minimize distractions and keep you focused on the benefits of meeting them.
According to SelfGrowth.com, goals keep you motivated. Achieving one of your goals will motivate you to achieve future goals. Your confidence will increase as you gain a new appreciation for your abilities and talents. Let other people know about your goals to keep you accountable and give you an extra push. Break big goals down into smaller steps so you can celebrate your smaller successes along the way and stay motivated.