{"id":55031,"date":"2024-02-20T20:55:39","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T02:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/?p=55031"},"modified":"2024-02-20T20:55:39","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T02:55:39","slug":"your-annual-goals-need-a-bigger-picture-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/your-annual-goals-need-a-bigger-picture-heres-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Annual Goals Need a Bigger Picture. Here\u2019s Why."},"content":{"rendered":"

Goals are, without a doubt, among the most powerful tools on the path to transformation. They clarify our destination. They focus our effort. They marshall our motivation. The result? They invite us to change.<\/p>\n

But goals, by themselves, aren\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

You can have successful days and even successful years and still fall short of a meaningful life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Goals work best within the bigger picture of a life plan.<\/a> Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

Personal Significance<\/h2>\n

SMARTER goal setting takes into account what you want<\/em><\/a>. That\u2019s important. But life planning, done well, goes further. A life plan connects you to who you are<\/em>.<\/p>\n

LifeFocus<\/a> accomplishes this by helping you identify your personal values and craft your personal mission. Your values become clear criteria for decisions big and small. If a decision helps you become more like the person you aspire to be, it\u2019s probably a good one to make.<\/p>\n

Your mission, on the other hand, helps you stay connected with the bigger significance of your life: the why <\/em>that resonates in your bones. What if you articulated your deep longings into a clear statement of why you\u2019re on this planet? What if you kept that purpose top-of-mind so you walked with greater confidence and clarity?<\/p>\n

Rock-Solid Motivation<\/h2>\n

Part of setting SMARTER goals is connecting to the why<\/em> behind them<\/a>. The bigger picture provided by LifeFocus takes this connection to motivation even further in two primary ways.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve already touched on the first. It connects your goals to your aspirational identity. Your exercise goal isn\u2019t merely about getting in shape. It\u2019s about practicing your value of grit<\/a>. Your therapy goal isn\u2019t just about mental well-being. It\u2019s about becoming a person who lives with greater honesty, able to bear more truth about the world and about yourself. Values, rightly leveraged, are motivation rocket fuel.<\/p>\n

Second, your LifeFocus<\/a> brings a single goal into a bigger picture. You begin to see it not as an end in itself but as a crucial stepping stone toward a life you can\u2019t wait to live. The vision of that life will remain compelling, even when you\u2019re in the messy middle<\/a> of goal achievement.<\/p>\n

Goal Synergy<\/h2>\n

When you know the big picture, you can create strategic connections to help your goals work together. For example, let\u2019s say you know you want to welcome a child into your family in 1\u20132 years. This year, constraining your workweek and setting an ambitious financial goal could set you up to better meet the needs of that child. These goals might initially seem in conflict, but in the bigger picture of your life plan, you see how they work together.<\/p>\n

Or, let\u2019s say you want to be married in a few years but aren\u2019t currently in a relationship. Delving into hobbies that will allow you to meet new people or addressing relational baggage in therapy might set you up to connect with a partner. Your life plan brings those goals into harmony so they\u2019re mutually supportive.<\/p>\n

Last example. Let\u2019s say you finally want to go back to school to complete a degree next year. Working through your sleep issues and completing a reading goal this year might help you get in mental shape so you can rise to the new challenge.<\/p>\n

You get the idea. A life plan like LifeFocus<\/a> helps you set goals in support of a common vision for your Double Win<\/a>. Then, you can begin to notice how to create strategic connections that set you up to succeed.<\/p>\n

Built-In Pacing<\/h2>\n

We believe in risky goals<\/a>\u2014and encourage everyone to set several. The problem comes when your goals get so unrealistic that, together, they send you into the delusional zone<\/a>. Here are a few clues you might have bitten off more than you can chew<\/p>\n