How to set life goals in 4 steps

A series of tips to achieve, step by step, to create life projects that excite us.

One of the most difficult things to accept is that life has the meaning we want to give it. And even more difficult than that is to take the step and give ourselves a meaning to our existence.

In this article we will see several tips about how to set life goals, based on simple guidelines that we can develop by changing our daily that we can develop by changing our daily habits.

How to set life goals, step by step

Our existence does not obey a predetermined goal, we ourselves must be able to transform our personal growth into a coherent and meaningful project (or at least, a chain of meaningful projects). But this is not an easy thing to do. Many times we feel lost or stagnant, and as much as we fantasize about a world in which it is always very clear what to do.However much we fantasize about a world in which it is always very clear what we have to do, the truth is that it is up to us to make these kinds of decisions. But how do we do it? How do we begin to order our priorities and establish in a concrete way those objectives to be achieved? Let's take a look at it.

1. Define your values

First of all, it is necessary to take into account which values are most important to you and which, on a day-to-day basis, shape what you consider important. In this way, you will have an outline of what is "the skeleton" of those things you value and want in your life, and those things you want to avoid.

To do this, write down on a sheet of paper a set of abstract concepts that reflect the things that are important to you: friendship, the environment, the environment, the environment, the environment, the environment, the environment, the environment, the environment, the environment, the environment, the environment.Friendship, the environment, strong emotions, etc. Then, make a selection of about 8 or 9 elements and order them by placing in the first positions those values that are most important to you.

2. Make a list of attainable long-term goals

Long-term goals are those that only make sense to set as objectives to be achieved in a matter of years, or that even if they are never fully achieved, they help us to establish routines. For example, learning languages, getting in shape, getting to know more people, traveling, etc. So, make a list of 5 or 6 long-term goals, those that you are most excited aboutSo that from this scheme you can then decide in an easier way what to do.

3. Make your plans concrete

In this step to set life goals you must operationalize the way in which you will achieve those goals, taking into account realistic ways to achieve themOn the one hand, and that this way of achieving them does not conflict directly with your values. For example, if one of your goals is to travel, but one of your most important values is environmental protection, it is worth considering how to travel without using the airplane, since this means of transport pollutes a lot. To do this, establish a strategy about traveling by hitchhiking, for example, or by bicycle, train, etc.

4. Subdivide your objectives into short-term goals.

You cannot live only on long-term goals; it is important to divide them into shorter time frames in order to get excited about the results we achieve week after week.

So, starting with those long-term goals that you have set for yourself, segment small victories that will bring you closer to your goals, segment small victories that will bring you closer to them in a month's time.. Keep in mind that this step only serves to realize your progress, and that you should not become obsessed with it. Finally, with these short-term goals you will be able to create calendars about what your progress should be over time, so that you create a commitment with yourself and do not throw in the towel easily. This calendar will help you keep track of whether you are achieving your goals or not.

5. Review your life goals

Over time we all change, and it is possible that a life goal becomes unimportant or no longer makes sense to you after a while. This is normal and is part of the process of psychological growth and evolution. Therefore, you should monitor your progress and see if what you are doing continues to motivate you and awaken your enthusiasm. If it does not, abandon those goals without judging yourself, since that in itself is not a bad thing.

Bibliographical references:

• Bandura, A. (1998). Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control, W.H. Freeman and Company, Nueva York.
• Grant, A. M.; O'Hara, B. (2006). "The self-presentation of commercial Australian life coaching schools: Cause for concern?". International Coaching Psychology Review. Leicester: The British Psychological Society. 1 (2): 21–33 [29].
• Ventegodt, S.; Joav M.; Niels Jørgen A. (2003). "Quality of Life Theory III. Maslow Revisited". TheScientificWorldJournal. Finland: Corpus Alienum Oy (3): 1050–1057.