Welcome back!
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours,” said writer-philosopher Henry David Thoreau. In his view, a life goal is essential for success and happiness in life, yet is different for everyone. To Thoreau, living devoid of technology and material possessions, simply soaking up nature and simplicity in an isolated cabin was his dream. To someone else, advancing the corporate ladder, getting a raise and being able to purchase comforts and status symbols might be a goal. To begin imagining your dreams, all you need is a quiet place, a pen and a piece of paper.
Try this life goal setting exercise to get yourself on the right path. List the areas of your life you’d like to work on, along with five subsequent objectives. It could be your health, career, finances, relationships, hobbies, spirituality or your behavioral/personality traits. Then, rate each area on a scale of 1-10 (1 being least satisfied, 10 being most satisfied). For instance, your life goal list for health might include weight loss, physique, eating habits, health and habits. On your satisfaction level list, you might admit that your weight satisfaction level is a 5, and that you’d like to lose 20 pounds. Your physique satisfaction might be a 6, as you’d like to build muscle with weight training two days per week. Your eating habits might be a 7 because you need to eat smaller portions. Your health could be an 8 because you’re generally happy but you know your cholesterol is a bit high. For your habits, you may be at a 10 because you are now going to the gym three days a week like you wanted to.
Once you have everything written down, one predominant life goal will likely emerge. Have you put career first and let your health languish? Or have you been so preoccupied with your relationship that you lost sight of your career goal of running your own business? Look at some of your long term goals and list the short term goals you must accomplish to get there. Then determine an appropriate timeline in which to meet your objectives. For instance, your long term goal might be to run a five-minute mile. First, you must set up a training schedule of 5 days/week. Then, you must try to run a mile without stopping. Then you can try to shave off a minute here and there to reduce your time from 10 minutes down to five. You can try training with weights to feel lighter or change your diet slightly to include more protein and energy-boosting foods. Whatever your plan of attack may be, looking at manageable, written goals will help you accomplish them.
After you determine your life goal, the challenging part will be to stay motivated. Often, individuals lose their way and forget why the goals they set out to achieve meant so much to them. It’s recommended that you tell as many people as you can about your goal, so you will feel the social pressure to succeed. With fitness aspirations, it’s especially helpful to have a workout buddy to keep you trying your best. You may also want to surround yourself with like-minded people who are also working toward the same dream. So, for instance, if your dream is to run a marathon, then you should subscribe to a marathon runner magazine, join a few message boards or link up with a local training club to keep you focused.
As a leading expert in the field of panic attacks help, Beth Kaminski is always on the lookout for ways to treat panic attacks. Visit her site for more information on her treating panic disorder and much more.
