Setting Goals Later in Life Can Help You Reach your Dreams

You will feel more in control of your life…

At this time of year, I’m usually working on my goals for 2023. When I do this, I’m always reminded of my youth, when September meant going back to school and setting goals for the new school year. Although my school years are mostly in the past, I think that having new ambitions every year or every few months is a great idea.

It doesn’t have to be something significant. I can plan to read a new set of books, learn to cook some new recipes or organize a trip for next summer. The important thing is to have an overall plan, break it into smaller steps, and figure out when I can accomplish them.

This is a simple process but, regardless of the goal, it can be very powerful. It helps clarify my direction, gives me a consistent sense of accomplishment, gives me a feeling of control, it adds to my intellectual and emotional resources and keeps me active and engaged in the world.

Having a clear goal has multiple benefits. Whether it’s losing 10 pounds, writing 36 articles in the next 3 months or running a half-marathon gives me a sense of direction.

Having a goal provides me with a personal routine to my life. No matter what else is going on in my life, how many people are asking for my time or how few hours I have to myself, I have a goal and I know where I’m going and what it takes to get there.

Sometimes small goals can sometimes seem huge but breaking them down into manageable steps can add some structure to each day. Each time I reach one of those steps, I feel as if I’ve done something significant.

When life’s demands pull at me, it’s easy to feel as if I’m not doing anything I enjoy or anything just for myself. Having at least one goal that is just mine helps me balance this feeling.

No matter what I have to do for other people, my job or just the responsibilities of my home, if I’ve broken my goal into daily or weekly steps, it gives me a consistent task.

It doesn’t eliminate the feeling that others need me, but knowing I have something important to do toward my own goals helps me feel grounded and confident in myself. Accomplishing my daily and/or weekly goals also enhances my feelings of self-worth.

Appreciating our talents on a regular basis adds to our confidence in every area of our lives. Every time we achieve something, we get the feeling of accomplishment and success.

Every time I feel like I’m slacking in some area, I can always remember how well I did with another goal. It gives me the chance to figure out what works best for me in terms of accomplishment.

While some people learn that they do best working on their goals a little bit each day, others do better if they work on it all in one day.

This gives us a kind of self-knowledge that is important to put to use in other areas of our lives as well. No matter what works for you, having an achievable goal keeps you participating actively in life.

To me, goal setting is one of the most important steps to staying active and engaged in life. If I don’t have a personal goal, I feel bored or overwhelmed by other people’s demands. Having more than one consecutive goal can soften feelings of let-down when my first goal is completed.

I think of having a goal like having a map. I know where I’m headed and which stops I want to make along the way.

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” Pablo Picasso

This is a good time of the year to start thinking about your goals for 2023. What accomplishments are you proud of having achieved in 2022? What goals would you love to see accomplished in 2023? Would love to read about it in the comments!