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How setting goals motivates me

Do you set goals? What are the benefits of setting goals? There seems, at least for me, to be so much value in having something to work towards.

As I mentioned in my 5 strategies to travel more article, I have plans to travel again mid-summer. My plan is to incorporate a 5 day, 4 night trek in the mountains. In thinking about the altitude and the long days with steep inclines, I realized that I better start training now to lessen the intensity. Within that realization, this trek then suddenly became a goal and my training a means to achieving that goal.

With the realization of my new goal, I became motivated to go for a longer than usual run despite it being a foggy, cool, dreary spring day. Were it not for setting this goal, maybe I wouldn’t have gone. Or maybe I would have settled for an easier, closer to town run rather than the longer trail that winds up through the mountains and ends on a beautiful knoll partially surrounded by grassy meadows.

Over the course of 8 miles I thought about, among other things, the benefits of setting goals. There are probably more than three but here are the few that resonated with me the most.

1- Setting goals generates motivation

Jogging through the quiet woods I reflected on the importance of setting goals and how motivating it is to not only have something to look forward to but also to push yourself out of your comfort zone. When working towards a goal, you oftentimes get to reflect on your progress even before you reach what it is you ultimately intend to achieve.

I thought about my trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro and my treks and climbs on the Argentinian side of Patagonia. Committing to each of these experiences motivated me to climb more, hike more, and condition myself to improve my chances of success. The incentive of achieving these goals made running and climbing more enjoyable and pushing myself harder was met with less resistance.

2- Setting goals provides accountability

Other goals crossed my mind as I began to disconnect from the physical movement of running and into the calm, trancelike state I can reach mid-run when I am decently in shape. I set goals to learn Spanish and to write a blog post twice a week. I set investment goals. I set goals to travel more and to plan for a gap year.

Having set these goals, I can assess my progress and determine if I am on track to achieve them. The end goal may still be far away, but I enjoy using it as a means to check in on my progress. The accountability checks further serve as incentive to keep working toward the goal.

3- Setting goals gives you something to celebrate

Maybe you aren’t intending to climb a literal mountain but when either you achieve your goal, or make huge advancements towards achieving the goals you set, you get to celebrate and reflect back on the hard work that has paid off.

Yes, I can enjoy the view from atop Mt. Kilimanjaro or Guillaumet, but I also enjoy knowing that I can speak with my teacher in Spanish for the entirety of our one hour class even though I do not nearly consider myself fluent.

Sometimes life offers victories and wins to celebrate, sometimes you have to create them.

Conclusion

If and when you get in a rut, setting a goal can help. The simple act of booking this upcoming trip and setting the intention of completing the trek was a big step in motivating me to start exercising more regularly. Setting this goal has provided great incentive to run and train even when I’m tired after a long day or a long week. By choosing to run anyway, I feel that much more of a sense of gratification.

Training for a trek is only one of so many examples of how goal setting can motivate you, provide you with accountability, and generate something to celebrate. I think of the recent graduates, or my friend who learned an instrument well enough to perform on a stage in front of thousands of people, and the colleague who worked so hard to earn her recent promotion. All of these individuals set a goal and worked hard to achieve it. Maybe there is still more work to be done but these milestones offer the perfect opportunity to reflect and celebrate.

The motivation to train led me to my run, which allowed me to reflect on the value of setting goals. It was fun to think about how goal setting is so important in other aspects of life. Want to retire early? Make it a goal to spend less and invest more. Want to climb a mountain? Train more and learn the necessary techniques. Want to learn to play an instrument to be able to pick with others? Start carving out time each and every day to practice and learn new theories and techniques.

What are your goals?

What are your goals? What do you perceive as the benefits to setting goals? Let me know in the comments.