Short-term goals are often neglected and underestimated. While people are focused on achieving their big goals, they forget that great achievements are composed of hundreds of small achievements.
Big failures are composed of numerous smaller failures as well. That’s why setting short-term goals is crucial for your career and life. Professional path, relationship, finance issues and nearly every sphere of your life requires wise planning.
I’ve noticed that setting clear and smart short-term goals simplified and structured my life. That’s why I’ve come up with 7 essential benefits of setting short-term goals.
1. Rapid attainments
That’s what people love most of all, quick results. Short-term goals are usually easier and simpler to achieve, thus they don’t imply enduring commitment. Short-term goals require less efforts, time and energy and give you immediate feedback.
Moreover, your small wins are a great occasion to praise yourself and celebrate. Whenever I can cross the point off my to-do list, I feel immense thrill and satisfaction. I love when my actions match the plan and when I can control the situation. I also feel more confident when I get everything done on time.
2. Motivation booster
It’s known that people are eager to tackle easier tasks. The difficult long-term projects can cause frustration, hopelessness and desire to give up at once. But when you break it down into small parts, chances are you will stay highly motivated and enthusiastic.
Short-term goals usually imply time limits and certain urgency. When I feel that a particular task should be done quickly, it increases my efficacy and pace. Short-term goals are more specific in comparison with abstract and general big goals.
3. Short-term goals indicate the direction
I always knew what I wanted from life, but I was at a loss when it came to actions. It’s great if you compile a list of things you want to accomplish till the end of the year. But it’s also necessary to define the stages you should go through each month or week.
For example, I am trying to finish my work till 7 p.m. daily, but this is quite an abstract task. That’s why I started defining how much work I need to do hourly. This way I will never veer off course or lose my productivity.
4. Short-term goals serve as building blocks of a great dream
The amazing thing about short-term goals is that they appear as components of a big dream. Regardless of your dream, you should always make a step-by-step plan to achieve that dream.
If you want to get slimmer till the end of the year, your desire is insufficient. You should create a detailed plan, which includes reducing calorie intake per day, regular workouts and losing a certain amounts of pounds each week. Having short-term goals multiplies your chance of success.
More: 9 Things to Do to Stay Inspired and Achieve All Your Goals
5. Short-term goals bring peace of mind and clarity of thoughts
When I have to accomplish a huge and important project, I often don’t know where to start. It results in constant switching from one task to another, slippage on my job and overall project, and lots of anxiety.
When I set a few short-term goals, I get rid of all the unnecessary stuff and see clearly what I need to do. When everything is done on time, I can relax and live peacefully my life.
Visualization boards, diagrams and logical schemes are also an important part of setting short-term goals. They clarify the task and prepare me to face the following stage on my way to an ultimate goal.
6. Optimal use of energy and time
When you start doing your tasks randomly, chances are you’ll fail to manage your time and energy resources wisely. But when you have a clear-cut plan, tailored to your needs, you will have higher chances to set right priorities and avoid distractions.
I developed a habit of setting goals daily. They include nearly everything: job, housing, purchases, meetings and appointments, beauty routine and other stuff. Having a clear timeline really helps me to be more productive and use my time more reasonably.
7. They give a sense of purpose
It’s difficult to live without a sense of purpose. Sure, small goals cannot define your ultimate goal, but they are a great way to get inspired and work hard each day.
Small goals will keep you determined to move forward no matter what. Just like Laurence J. Peter said, ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, then you’ll end up somewhere else’.
Don’t sit back waiting for your dreams and goals to come true by a miracle. You should create a good plan and start taking actions.
Setting goals can take much time, but you might waste more time on things that don’t correspond to your ultimate goal. So, grab a pen and notebook and start setting your short-term goals right now.
