Why Goal Setting is Important and How You Can Start Today

The New Year can be an incredibly exciting time, one that brings about new beginnings, fresh starts, clean slates, and a completely blank canvas to create whatever you want. 

Sometimes, though, the blankness of that canvas can be intimidating. Where do you even start?

It can be easy to bypass setting goals altogether when you see how many or how ambitious the resolutions of other people are, but don’t let that deter you. That isn’t your life — this is.

Goal setting doesn’t have to be boring and goals don’t have to be so insanely huge that you decide you’re going to fail before you’ve even begun. Goals are whatever you want them to be.

There are many benefits to incorporating the practice of setting goals in your life (and not just when a new year rolls around), including those that help you improve your focus, productivity, personal successes and more. If you don’t know where to begin, that’s okay, you’re in the right place.

In this article, we’re going to identify why setting goals is so important, and the top benefits of this practice, as well as share with you a few examples of powerful (but practical) goals you can start working on today.

Why is goal setting important?

The real value of setting goals lies in the direction, focus and purpose they give us. The fact is, not all goals will be achieved — the truth is, not all goals need to be. 

Whenever you set out to complete a goal, you will inevitably learn countless and invaluable lessons along the way, because with action comes clarity, and with clarity, knowledge. 

As disappointing as it can be when a goal isn’t achieved, whether through our own actions (or lack thereof), external circumstances or both, you will still be closer to your goal than when you started. It may be time to restart that goal or use it as a stepping stone to creating a new one.

Having a goal to strive for, no matter how ambitious or simple provides us with the structure, purpose, focus and motivation we need to achieve personal success in our lives.

Benefits of goal setting

One of the greatest benefits of goal setting is that you are able to turn what might feel like an impossible ideal into actionable steps that help you activate that dream in your reality.

For instance, saving an extra $100 per month might sound impossible until you realize you can do that by simply committing to putting aside $3.50 every day for 30 days. This too can be further broken down if you realize you can easily set aside that money by recognizing little spending habits that add up to a lot (such as spending $10 at Starbucks every day before work).

A once “foggy” idea is now a clear, actionable goal that you can take daily steps to achieve.

Other benefits of goal setting include:

• Provides direction and motivation
• Brings clearer focus and clarifies priorities
• Generates purpose and meaning
• Helps eliminate unhealthy patterns
• Fosters healthier choices and habits
• Sustains positive momentum in life

There are countless benefits to implementing goal setting into your life, far more than we could ever list here.

Goal setting examples

The beauty of goal setting is that there is no such thing as a goal too big or a goal too small. That’s because the goals being set are all based on who is setting them, and what they wish/want to achieve in the new year.

Some powerful (but practical) examples of goals include:

• Not using your phone in bed to foster a more restful sleeping space
• Working out because you honor your body, not because you hate it
• Spending at least 10 minutes a day in nature
• Speaking more positively to yourself
• Abstaining from speaking negatively to yourself
• Setting healthy boundaries with loved ones
• Drinking more water on a daily basis
• Engaging in the exercise you genuinely enjoy
• Journaling every evening before bed to release the day
• Calling or visiting loved ones more often

As you can see from the above goal-setting examples, goals can be as big, as crazy, as simple or as wholesome as you’d like them to be. 

The first step is to take a kind, but honest, assessment of the different areas of your life—work, relationships, hobbies, spirituality, wellness, and mental health—so you can identify where you would most like to focus on improving.

If you need some support to help you stay focused and accountable, we’re here to help.

Start achieving your goals today

Pyramid Online Counseling specializes in providing professional guidance and mental health services to children, adolescents and adults. Believing in the importance of recognizing patient individuality, each client receives compassionate, personally tailored care that’s designed to meet their unique needs and preferences.

Our top priority is to help you access the highest quality of life, which is why we offer counseling services you can receive from the comfort of your home. Our team of qualified, compassionate experts will work closely with you from day one in order to help you achieve a positive and balanced overall sense of wellness so that you can pursue even your wildest goals.