Taking Small Steps Toward the Big Picture: Setting Goals

Goals are often viewed as the end of a journey. We set goals and work to achieve them, and that’s the end of it, right?? No! Goals are a small part of the big picture. They are a living, changing thing that evolves with us as we move toward a bigger picture.

It is important to start with the big picture. Where do you want to be in 10 years? 20 years? You may have a dream of being wealthy enough that you can start your own charitable organization and dole out funds each month, helping millions. But you can’t get there in one day.  And it is possible that you will never get to that point, but this big picture will keep you focused. Maybe you end up being able to donate enough to charity to help thousands. That is still a wonderful, big thing. It is this big picture you keep in mind along the way. It is your driving force and what helps you form your goals and make decisions.

Once you have that big picture in mind, you start on the road to it by setting goals. Goals are based on your personal values and needs. You need to set goals that have 4 qualities: specific, realistic, measurable, and motivational. It is a good idea to set your goals in 90 day increments. This way it is a long enough time to actually achieve something and see results, but it is not so far out that you lose sight of it and let it fall away (it is better than those oft forgotten New Year’s Resolutions). You can start with the little things that will help you get to your big picture. Say your big picture is paying for your kids’ college tuition. You can start by setting a goal of researching college savings plans first. Then in the next 90 days you will get a plan set up. Then you will make a goal to deposit a certain amount into the account. Further down the road, a goal of yours is to use some of your extra income to put more money into that account. After a while you will find yourself getting closer and closer to that dream. And keeping it in mind will help you make the little decisions along the way. Do we really need to eat out again tonight or can I cook a less expensive meal so that I have enough to go into the college savings account this month? Goals will keep you on track and help you put one foot in front of the other to get to that big picture.

Maybe you don’t have a big dream right now. Start now by letting your imagination run free. Remember when you could do that as a kid and come up with all sorts of ideas of things you wanted to do? Nothing was impossible. You can still do that today. It may be a little more difficult, but start thinking about what would make you happy and give you a fulfilled life.

Tags: goal setting, goals