Goal Setting
Goals are targets – something to aim for. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Goals give life direction. Setting goals is a method of anticipating, planning, and preparing for the future.
Goal setting is an effective way of picturing what we want to achieve and what we want our lives to be like. We can then move toward those images in an intentional way. We derive many other benefits from having goals as well:
- Goals provide a positive expectancy of the future
- Goals stimulate our personal growth and development
- Goals help us to focus on the desired end result and give us the motivation we need to bounce back from setbacks and disappointments
- Goals facilitate “future thinking”—a way of looking ahead and anticipating future needs and wants.
- Goals provide a framework for making decisions
- Goals that are clear and purposeful help us not to get sidetracked by someone else’s agenda
Despite these benefits, many individuals are reluctant to set goals. Often it is because goal setting has been ineffective for them in the past. They miss their targets and then become disappointed and discouraged. For others, setting goals creates internal stress by mentally switching an idea or a dream from the “want to” category, to the “have to” category. They then begin to feel pressure to perform and experience fear of failure. Nonetheless, goal setting is an essential component of the planning process.
At Stewardship Advisors, in our roles of partner, guide, and educator, we strive to help you adopt a fresh perspective on goal setting and to align your financial goals with your personal values and priorities.
Think about what role money can or will play in helping you to achieve each of your life goals.
“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt
(Adapted from Money Quotient, Inc.)
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