There are two main factors that motivate us to do the task. The first one is the willingness to do them. The second is the awareness of its importance – when we know what are the benefits that wait for us, to put it simply. When the task is unclear, the instructions are misleading and we lack knowledge, the motivation drops.
We need a ‘sense of mission’ to willingly perform our duties. A good reason is enough to engage even in the most tedious task. Kids’ favorite question is ‘why?’ As we grow up and learn more, we tend to forget how important this question is and stop asking it. However, we still need a proper explanation and arguments if we are asked to do something.
We must be able to differentiate between those goals that are not worth pursuing and those that we should complete at every cost. Today, we will try to answer the following questions:
- What are goals?
- How important are our goals?
- Why do setting goals work?
People, who set their goals and write them down how much higher chances to successfully complete them. People who only set goals tend to forget what they were supposed to do.
Question One
So, what are goals? They are the answer to the question “what do I want?” They determine our life aspirations, what we perceive as a success and sense of accomplishment. Once you establish what are your goals, you want from life, and what you want to absolutely avoid, your mind will get clearer. They will help you focus entirely on the things that are important, and reduce the behaviors that drag you down, wasting your time.
Question Two
How important are goals? Well, they are absolutely essential in your life. They give the purpose and meaning to your actions, they set you on the right course. Without the clear intentions, your time management is reduced to mere reaction to events that happen around you and requests that others give you.
Also, without the established goals, you will never feel the sense of fulfillment. You will never feel like you actually accomplished something vital. There is no success without the goal because even if you manage to achieve something extraordinary, it will be a coincidence as you’ve never made any plans toward it.
They give you the optimism and hope. When you set your goals, it is easy to tell yourself: “I know exactly what I want and I know that I got the means to achieve it. There are chances and risks but I will be ready for both. I’ll take my courage in both hands when the time comes and succeed!”
Question Three
Why do setting goals work? There is a biological answer to that. There is this part of our brain called the Reticular Activating System. Though the name is quite complicated, the working process of our RAS is simple. When we are looking for something, we send signals to our RAS, and it immediately starts searching through our surrounding to find it. Once it notices something that matches the description in our head, it informs us. When you know what your goals are, this organ is able to look for and find the opportunities to complete them.
And how do we know that it works? Our brains simply work this way. It’s like when you bought a new jacket, and suddenly you notice every person wearing the same or a similar one. Or when you received a new, cool watch for your birthday and you are not able to take your eyes off it for some time. The RAS was informed about something important in your life and begins the process of focusing your attention on it. It works in the same way with the plainly established goals.
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Summing Up
Those are the most important questions that concern pursuing goals. Now you know why it is important to set them. In our next article, we shall discuss the process of setting goals – the short and long-term ones. Also, we will give you some clues how to do it precisely, so you will always know what exactly you should be doing. Check our related posts in order to find out a lot of interesting information on time and work management, as well as productivity.