Goal Setting
The Purpose of a Goal
What is its purpose and how does it affect your behavior?
When I became fascinated with the methodology behind The One Thing – one of the first things I learned was this lesson: the purpose of a goal.
The purpose of a goal is to be intentional within the moment.
Goals inform your behavior. They are a guide.
There will always be goals. Just as soon as you hit a goal, you’ll discover the feeling of accomplishment and then it fades as you set new goals.
The takeaway is to understand that goals inform but they are not the ultimate prize.
Where are you in the process of achieving this goal?
What will the next step be after you accomplish this goal?
If you don’t have your 2023 goals in writing, use this worksheet to formalize them so you can better understand what your mid-year reset may look like.
The Source of a Goal – It Starts With Exposure
Where do goals come from?
People don’t know what they want, they only want what they know.
One of my mentors, Ben Hardy, wrote about the source of all goals in his book Personality Isn’t Permanent.
He goes on to say that all behavior is goal driven. Fundamentally, all goals come from three sources:
- Exposure
- Desire
- Confidence
You cannot make decisions and choices if you don’t know they exist. Your ability to make choices is limited by your context and knowledge. When you expand that context, you expand your options.
People who actually get what they want constantly expose themselves to new things.
They seek to be surprised and happily deconstruct their old programming and adopt new programing that serves their future selves…knowing with new, more, and better information, they can make a more informed decision.
They can increase or change their goals and aim higher.
As you prepare for a mid-year reset on June 20th reflect on your current goals. Are they limiting your capability because of past exposure?
Check out my interview with Ben Hardy on The Mentee Podcast. You won’t regret it.
How Desires Shape Your Goals
What new things have you exposed yourself to over the last week?
Desires come from the world you’re exposed to.
Your desires are trained responses to your environment and past experiences. They are always up for modification.
You can intentionally choose what you want, and you can train yourself to want anything. That’s where you find freedom!
When you get clear on your purpose – your purpose will push you outside of your preferences and shift who you are.
Your life will become far bigger, more abundant, when you choose desires that produce outcomes your future self wants. Taking action towards our goals is where fulfillment, happiness, and confidence reside.
Are they in alignment with your desires? Are your current desires helping you or hurting you?
Let's Talk About Confidence
Are you confident in your purpose, goals, and future self?
The goals you set for your life, business, or any other category are 100% dependent upon your confidence. And confidence comes from acting with courage. The more you build your confidence, the more powerful your goals will become.
It’s from your successes that confidence will be born and grow. You’ll grow in your thinking and courage and take more risks, more often, faster.
You’ll also fail faster and more. This is where true learning occurs. As you learn, you’ll get better and smarter and more skilled.
As you get smarter and more skilled, you’ll win more and achieve more successes. As that happens, so will your confidence.
Where can you stretch yourself and modify them with more courage?
