How do you set your goals? Over the years, I’ve experimented with different ways of setting my goals. I started with SMART goals. I then moved on to creating stretch goals, goals that are very much outside my comfort zone, for which I give myself three years to accomplish. In the past, I was very focused on result-oriented goals. Recently, I started experimenting on setting meaningful goals.

What are meaningful goals? Simply put, meaningful goals are goals that have a long-term view and hold an emotional connection to a person. When we combine these two things, we focus less on the result, and more on the process of getting to what we want.

To illustrate, let’s say you want to lose weight. You can set a goal like: I want to lose 10 kg in three months. If that’s the goal, you can hire a trainer and adjust your diet to achieve your ideal weight. Once it’s accomplished, you can turn this into a lifestyle. But as you know, most of us eventually gain the weight back.

Translating the example to a meaningful goal, ask yourself what significance losing weight holds for you. An answer could be: I want to be healthy so I can play sports with my children. Do you see how the goal became bigger? The weight loss is now just part of the bigger picture. Because you are now aware of the meaningful goal, once you achieve weight loss, you will be committed to keeping it off because of the long-term view. Then, you will find yourself adding more goals because of the progress and the bigger picture. Adding all of that results in a lifestyle change.

If we only focus on the result, we don’t know how our motivation will change once we accomplish the target. Are you going to keep at it or go back to your old ways? However, if we unearth the meaning behind the goal, we will be more focused on the process of change.

Your goals must be meaningful enough for you to want to make changes to achieve it. The most magical thing about making a change is that the whole process opens you up to new possibilities. When you see new possibilities open up for you, you will want to keep going. And if you keep going, you’ll be amazed someday to find how far you’ve come.

Where to begin? Get your journal ready and write down your goals. It does not matter how you start. Once you set a few down, extract what significance these intentions hold for you and turn them into meaningful goals. Take your time and let your feelings guide the process. When you’re happy with it, it’s time to craft a plan of action. So go ahead, amaze yourself with how you’re going to change your life! Send me a message so I can help you take that decisive step.