Why You Should Set Goals
January 23, 2009
Many people don't set goals because they don't see the point. They don't understand how goals work and may even see goal setting as a waste of time and energy. Goals can be a very useful tool that can actually save you a lot of time and energy. Just like any other tool, you need to understand how goal setting works in order to use it to your advantage. By learning how to set realistic goals for yourself you can achieve many things that you otherwise might not have.
It might be helpful to think of your current situation and your desires as being on the same map. Goals allow you to make a straight line from where you are to where you want to be. Nobody is perfect and your line won't be perfectly straight. Every mistake you make creates a small detour on your straight line. If you don't have goals, your line will not be straight at all. You might curve to one direction and then to another, and likely you will never even reach your final destination.
Although learning how to set goals and following through with them can be hard work, setting and achieving goals can be an enjoyable, rewarding experience. Many people set goals to push themselves out of their comfort zones and to create new challenges which motivate them to succeed. If you are a swimmer, for instance, and everyday you swim 5x100 freestyle and then stop, you will probably get bored very quickly. Not only will you become bored mentally, but your body also gets bored of doing the same routine and stops responding. It's important to try new things and goals help you do that. To change your routine you could set goals to improve your time and speed. Or you could try going a longer distance or adding a new stroke. Any of these things could be done in the form of a goal.
It's important to understand that goals can be applied to almost every aspect of your life. By setting goals you not only maintain control over your life but you show other people that you are in control. You can set athletic goals or health and nutrition goals. When people write a business plan they are setting out a series of goals for their business. By showing this business plan to potential investors they are showing that they are in control of how their business will be operated and the steps they have set out so the business is successful.
Successful people are usually not successful by just being lucky. It's true; luck usually does play a role in success. Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Michael Phelps did not become the athletes they are today on luck alone. They are all superior athletes because of hard work, dedication and, most likely, because they have mastered the art of setting goals for themselves. Being successful is about having a plan and sticking with it. Goals are the building blocks to whatever plan you create for yourself. If you are constantly assessing and revising your goals then you can feel confident knowing you are working to create the future you have always envisioned for yourself.
Four Reasons Why Motivation is Important
January 22, 2009
Everyone wants to be successful. But to be successful, there is an important thing you must have and that is motivation. Here are four reasons why motivation is important for success:
1. Motivation helps you get started.
Have you noticed the difference between working on something you like and working on something you don't like? I'm sure you can feel the difference. When you're motivated about something, you can work on it effortlessly. Nobody needs to force you to work. Nobody needs to tell you to move. In fact, you are waiting for the opportunity to work. Since getting started is perhaps the most difficult part of getting things done, being motivated is tremendously helpful for you.
2. Motivation helps you keep moving.
Getting started is one thing but keep moving is another thing. Whatever you do, there are always obstacles along the way that can hinder you from achieving success. If you don't have motivation, it's easy to get discouraged when you meet such obstacles. That's why motivation often makes the difference between winners and losers. Winners are those who can go through challenges and difficulties thanks to their motivation. Losers, on the other hand, are those who can't go through challenges and difficulties since they lack the necessary motivation.
3. Motivation makes you do more than necessary.
If you are motivated about something you will voluntarily do more about it than what is required from you. You will naturally go further and dig deeper than other people since you love to do it. While other people will only do what is necessary, you do more than that. In such situation, there is a good chance that you will be more successful than others.
4. Motivation makes the journey fun.
People who don't have motivation will think that the journey to success is long and difficult. Those who are motivated look at it differently. The journey is still long, but it's an enjoyable journey. Not only can they endure it, they actually have fun along the way. Of course, there are always times when things aren't good, but motivation enables you to endure such difficult times.
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As you can see, motivation helps you in many different ways. It helps you get started, it helps you keep moving, it helps you do more than others, and it makes the journey fun. No wonder motivation plays an important role in your journey to success.
Achieve Your Goals - How to Engage Your Brain to Help You Get Motivated and Stay Motivated
January 21, 2009
Motivation is a key factor in any successful goal-setting plan. Achieving personal goals, self-improvement plans and life goals depend on our ability to maintain a sustained and consistent effort.
Research suggests that a powerful ally in the brain known as the neurotransmitter, dopamine can help. When we understand a bit of brain chemistry and consistently use some simple goal-setting techniques, we can put this knowledge to work for us.
Some Basic Concepts:
- Dopamine plays a role in the part of the brain associated with pleasure and pain. When we eat or have a romantic encounter, for example, the brain feels rewarded and this chemical is released. We experience feelings of pleasure and improved mood.
- When the brain feels cut off from a rewarding experience, production decreases and we feel anxious and fearful.
- When you receive an unexpected reward or successfully pursue someone or something, dopamine levels rise. They stop rising when the goal is achieved.
- When an expected reward is not received or you fail to realize your desired outcome, levels plummet.
- Researchers believe that dopamine is involved in sending a signal to the parts of the brain responsible for establishing new behavior patterns. The brain wants you to learn and repeat behaviors it views as positive or rewarding. By making you feel good, your brain teaches you to repeat behaviors that created the feeling.
- This sense of pleasure acts as a motivator that keeps us focused on our goals. The chemical continues to be released so long as we keep our attention on the goal and pursue it.
- Researchers have found that when we set a goal, regardless of its size or expected delivery date, the brain takes possession of it as if it is already ours. When we act as if we already have what we are working towards, we reinforce this.
- Once the brain claims ownership of the object of our desire, it can become an obsession. We crave the dopamine and the mood lift it brings. Your brain is now working powerfully to motivate you to pursue your goal.
- The flip side of the coin is that this makes it more difficult when you wish to eliminate behaviors the brain views as rewarding. For example, nicotine and cocaine keep dopamine levels in the brain elevated. Your brain sees this as a reward and taught you to continue the behavior. It wants to avoid the anxiety and negative feelings associated with losing what it believes it already possesses.
How this understanding can work for you:
- Choose something you truly desire and feel motivated to accomplish. In order for this to work, the goal must be important to you.
- You must be willing to invest yourself in the process and have a reasonable expectation of achieving your desired outcome.
- Give yourself a few weeks to adjust to changes. It's believed that it takes 21 days to establish a new habit. If we were to apply our dopamine model to this, we could say it takes the brain some time to view your new behaviors as rewarding. Then it will release the chemical in response to the new behavior so you keep repeating it.
- Break your big goal into small, achievable goals that require you to do some work. You may choose to set weekly or monthly objectives. This gives your brain several items to own instead of just one, increasing its investment in the process. It's also easier for your brain to adjust to smaller changes.
- Have a daily to-do list. Do something every day to support your intentions. Include the little items. Cross them off as you complete them. Each item represents something for the brain to own and pursue. It then becomes a reward when crossed off. You can give yourself other rewards as well, so long as they don't sabotage your desired outcome. Determine the reward in advance so your brain can look forward to it. Also include a few spontaneous rewards.
- Write your to-do list the night before to engage your brain before you even wake up in the morning. This is the part of the pursuit.
- Evaluate your progress and make changes in your plan as needed. If you are asking too much of yourself, you will not view this as achievable and may experience anxiety or feel as though you failed. Likewise, be sure to stretch yourself a little so your brain experiences the thrill of the pursuit.
As you can see, these are powerful tips, that when used correctly, can help you achieve your goals. With the help of scientific research and a brain chemical known as dopamine, achieving your goal can be easier and you may just accomplish more than you ever dreamed possible.