Greetings, dear reader!
If you are wondering: how to find a goal in life, then now is one of the most important stages of your life, and your future depends on which course you choose. Purpose underlies all the greatest achievements and undertakings in our world, helps us overcome difficulties, and makes us always move forward. But if now you are standing at a crossroads and are looking for your goal, your “spark” that will illuminate your existence with a bright light, then today together with you we will try once and for all to find the very goal that you need.
The conversation will not be about how to achieve financial well-being. Acquiring the things necessary for life and maintaining one’s standard of living are ordinary human needs, since the life of each individual must satisfy basic requirements. It's about something bigger; about the direction of actions that are the basis for everything that happens in life; about the necessary growth and development, about how to solve problems through hard work, despite all the difficulties, while not losing enthusiasm and having fun. We are talking about a clear life goal.
Today we will take 3 consecutive steps, each of which will help you determine your true goal:
- First step: we will figure out what the real goal is and what it is for;
- Second step: we will perform several exercises that will help in finding the goal;
- Third step: we will analyze the main mistakes when choosing a goal, and check our goal for the presence of these errors;
However, I ask you not only to read these tips, but also to work hard on yourself. And not someday later, but right now. The first thing you and I have to do is to realize what the real goal is. Let's get started!
What is the real goal?
A goal is what gives motivation, gets you out of bed with the first rays of the sun and forces you to act, even when there is no strength or desire. It helps you to jump above your capabilities, to work despite fatigue; leaving your comfort zone, getting rid of habits, going beyond your previous thinking. This is what stimulates, creates an unquenchable thirst, and gives additional energy.
Of course, everyone has their own opinion on this matter, which means the goal has its own distinctive characteristics. However, there are things that are common to everyone. Agree, goals in life are constantly changing, since the world around us is changing: pace, economic and environmental situations, morals and principles, legislation, environment, we and our thinking - everything is subject to change. Therefore, it is very important to have a global goal for at least the next 15-20 years. It is this that will allow you to stay in the right direction, find the path and not deviate from it under the influence of life circumstances.
Introspection.
The first and most reliable method that anyone who has no goal in life should resort to is careful self-analysis. You can do it both in your head and by writing it down. We are talking about mental maps - a technique for visualizing thinking using notes or images on a sheet of paper. This makes it possible to structure your thoughts, choose the most important thing and discard all the unimportant points. The main thing is to ask yourself the right questions and answer them as honestly as possible, even if these answers go against previous life experience. The more sincere the “communication” with your inner self is, the easier it will be to choose guidelines for movement.
Why do you need a goal in life?
Before we start searching for our life purpose, we need to figure out what it is for. Few people bother themselves with such questions, although awareness of the importance of having a global life goal simplifies its search, since it relieves the consciousness of all unnecessary things imposed by other people’s opinions.
Having a goal, a person understands what he is spending his time and energy on. He knows that he is on the path to achieving his plans, he realizes the correctness of the chosen direction. Harmony, happiness and an understanding of where to move appear in life. It becomes easier to make choices and separate the important from the unimportant, without regretting the decision. A person is motivated, he does not need coercion.
A life goal makes a person’s existence more meaningful, helps to walk firmly, radiating confidence and holding his head up proudly, even when it’s hard. This helps to find meaning in life, to see new opportunities through the prism of everyday life, and ultimately to live life in such a way that there is no excruciating pain for wasted time...
Well then, friends! Here comes the most important moment of our article today - now we will move on to exercises that will help us know ourselves, realize our values, and find our true goal. Well, are you ready? Let's begin.
Overcoming complexes and phobias.
Society brings both benefits and harm to a person. Socialization is beneficial for the individual in terms of its development, but taboos, prohibitions and prejudices are definitely harmful. Fears and complexes arise in response to the negative influence of public opinion. It is during the period of suppression of the interests of the individual by his environment that a person runs the risk of becoming confused and going astray. Even after many years, having moved to a completely different place, he will still be carrying the yoke of his previous experience. To find a purpose in life, he will need to get rid of his “cockroaches in his head” and only then, having carried out a general “cleaning” in the subconscious, understand what he really wants.
How to find a purpose in life: 7 main questions
So, we come to the most important thing - finding your goal. In order for everything to work out, I will ask you to arm yourself with a pencil and a notebook - we will complete the tasks in writing. Finding your true purpose is about asking the right questions of yourself.
What gives me pleasure?
The first question we will touch on is quite simple. Think about what gives you pleasure in life? This is the first important step. In life you can find a lot of examples when someone, devoting himself to his favorite business, was able to achieve great heights. For example, Bill Gates, whose passion for computer technology led to success. Or Oprah Winfrey, who helped people and achieved incredible heights in this. From an early age, Edison was distinguished by his thirst for innovative solutions.
Think about what your soul is about. Business, fitness, crafts - it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s a favorite pastime. Favorite activities help you find purpose. If you like to draw, then this is the direction you need to move towards. It is important to look for the signs and understand them. Think about what you would like to do. And don’t forget to display your thoughts on paper: You need to write down at least 5 activities that give you pleasure. Ready? Let's move on.
What am I interested in?
Analyze your own interests. Take this seriously. It is important to find what arouses the greatest interest: maybe you have always been interested in travel - new cities and countries, new emotions. Maybe you are interested in studying laws? Know how to use them to benefit people and help in difficult situations?
Most likely, by answering these questions, you will determine the desired vector for further search. If you think that you are not interested in anything, try to find at least something that can interest you. A significant part of success is related to interests. Your task is to write down on a sheet at least 5 areas that interest you.
How I spend free time?
Analyze your leisure time: what do you do and what would you like to do when you make plans for your free time? What would you do with yourself if you had even more time free from business (and if you had unlimited financial capabilities). Most likely, leisure, if it is not spent watching a TV screen or watching a feed on social networks, is somehow connected with what you are striving for, have a predisposition, which means it will help in finding a goal. It's simple: write 5 activities that you would like to do in your free time. Happened? Let's move on.
What was my interest as a child?
If a growing child is deprived of the right to choose throughout his childhood, he is unlikely to develop goal-setting skills. The absence or presence of goals is directly related to early age. It is difficult for a person for whom his parents decided which section or circle to go to, with whom to communicate, and whom to avoid, to independently determine the goal, since the habits of choosing for himself have not been formed.
Therefore, remember your childhood: what did you like? What did you enjoy? What did you dream about? What gave you vital energy? You can also mention things that you would like to do, but you could not afford it, because it is not rational, it does not bring a good income, or your parents do not approve. Write down 5 such activities.
What inspires me?
If you want to find your goals, think about what inspires you, gives you strength and captivates you? Do you consider sales to be an art? Or, on the contrary, do you want to quickly leave work and cook something new for dinner? Perhaps you are inspired by the biography of some successful person - think about it, maybe you are interested in the activity in which this person succeeded? Think about it carefully and write down 5 activities that inspire you.
What are my true desires?
Write down everything that comes to mind. Remember that all these: a car, an apartment, a sofa, a trip to the south, a leather jacket, a higher salary, a smartphone - all this does not relate to real values. “Having something” is not cool. The truly cool thing is to “be someone.” This is the question you should ask yourself - who would I like to be? What do I strive for in life? This point is one of the most important, pay enough attention to it and write down at least 5 of your true desires.
What does my ideal day look like?
We are approaching the finale, the most important thing. Try to find a corner where you won't be disturbed for half an hour. Turn off your mobile device, the Internet, turn off the radio, TV, all equipment and appliances. Make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes, relax and throw away extraneous thoughts.
Then imagine the future, say 10 years from now: what place is it, who is next to you? What clothes do you wear, what have you achieved in life? Try to keep your train of thought calm. Avoid patterns and stereotypes in your way of thinking. Surrender to the flow of thoughts and see which shore it takes you to. The clearer and more contrasting the picture, the easier it will be to materialize it. The task is not easy - you need to imagine your ideal day down to the smallest detail - who you have become, where you are, what you can do and what you have achieved. Write everything down in detail.
Final stage
If everything worked out, then it’s time to put together everything that we have written down and get an answer to the main question. So, friends, your task is to review your notes and find what you wrote about most often. What is mentioned in the list of interests, and in the list of children's wishes, and in the scenario of an ideal day. If you approach this exercise responsibly and carefully, then you will definitely find this clue , which is present in almost every one of the 7 lists compiled. This is what you thought about most. This is what you strived for most. This is your real goal in life!
If you were not able to complete everything at once, then the picture below presents in a convenient form the questions that we went through:
Take this picture (photograph or print it) and review it periodically, asking these important questions. Sooner or later you will come to realize what your real goal is.
Well friends, that's not all. One more final step awaits us, which will help us make sure whether we have really chosen the goal that is our only one. To do this, we will analyze several main mistakes when forming a goal, and analyze our goal for these errors. Well, are you ready? Begin.
Expanding your circle of acquaintances.
No less effectively copes with the question of how to determine the purpose in life, and live communication. Each personality is a whole book that can be reread an infinite number of times. Everyone has their own goals and motives. The more people a person gets to know, the more experience he gains. If books contain more facts and assumptions, then in the process of dialogue it is the transfer of experience that occurs. Although, there are a number of books that are reminiscent of communication with the author. A striking example is “Think and Grow Rich,” written by the American author Napoleon Hill. But even such a wise book cannot give the main thing. She will not provide answers to all questions that arise. During a conversation, you can always clarify something and ask again, making the transfer of information more individual and useful.
Take the test: introvert or extrovert?
Basic mistakes when choosing a goal
- The goal is imposed by others
. It often happens when goals are formed under the influence of external influence. This could be parents or another authority figure, as well as the desire to prove something to someone. As a result, a person develops aspirations that he does not need at all, and their achievement will not bring pleasure and moral satisfaction. A simple example is to get a law degree just because your father was a lawyer, get a job and hate it; get married, because everyone does it; buy a car, since everyone has one; build a house to make your neighbors jealous. There can be hundreds of examples in life. - Wrong priorities . Everyone wants to be free, but they think it's a matter of money. As a result, the desire to find oneself by gaining financial independence leads to an even greater loss of freedom. People become hostage to stereotypes and lose hope of coming out of this race happy.
- Fanaticism . A certain category of citizens is ready to throw everything on the altar in order to achieve what is essentially not so important to them. This is fanaticism, the desire to blindly believe in something. Fanatics are capable of achieving a lot, but happiness and harmony are unlikely to reign in their lives.
- Lack of inspiration . A person must find within himself the thirst to achieve what he wants. You should be inspired by the picture of the future where your goal has been fulfilled. If there is no inspiration, then the goal was chosen incorrectly.
Ask yourself if you made one of these mistakes when forming a goal? If not, then I can congratulate you - your goal has been found.
If you think that the most difficult thing is yet to come, then I hasten to please you - we have already overcome the most difficult stage. Many people “wander” through life for years, or even decades, unable to understand themselves and what they really want. If you succeeded, if you really feel that achieving your goal will help you become truly happy, then this is a huge step forward. Now you need to focus on turning your goal into an action plan and achieving it, and for this I have prepared a separate article for you.
Reading books.
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It is difficult to think of a greater storehouse of information and experience than books. This universal source of knowledge does not lose its relevance even in the era of all kinds of gadgets and devices. Perhaps it is changing a little, keeping up with the trends of the time. Audiobooks, videos, and various mobile applications are appearing. But their essence remains unchanged - the accumulation and transmission of wisdom. Each person in one of the books will definitely come across a hint on how to find a goal in life. Which one exactly? It is impossible to answer. The more books you read, the faster the answers will be found. True, this will also raise new questions.
Consultation with a coach or psychologist.
In some cases, a person becomes so alienated from his nature that it becomes very difficult for him to find himself without outside help. There are at least two professions whose specialists help in finding a purpose in life. The first are psychologists who find the causes of a problem while trying to solve it. The second are coaches. Their task is to help a person answer all his questions himself. Friends or relatives can take on the role of a consultant, but such everyday psychoanalysis does not always lead to a successful solution to the problem. Still, the education received within the walls of a university or training center helps to adhere to the necessary work standards, which amateurs and self-taught people cannot do.
As an adult, what do you keep doing, even without monetary reward?
What kind of business, what kind of interest, that you wouldn’t give up even if you didn’t pay for it? For example, would you stop keeping records, stop helping people, stop looking for improvements to the site? Maybe you wouldn't stop drawing, knitting or cooking? From my heart, without compensation.
For example, I am passionate about creating pictures for social networks, I do it simply because I like it, I don’t get tired of it. Do you think this skill can be monetized? Easy, I just want to take a course to improve my knowledge and perhaps start offering my service to a wider audience.
Therefore, analyze your area of interest and make a mind map. Include what you watch most often, what you read most often, what you think about most often. What can you do for 8 hours straight and not get bored?
