What’s Your REAL Reason for Setting Your Goals?

In goal-setting, “your why” refers to the relevance that the particular goal has to your life. Relevance is the R in the SMART Goals method of goal setting. This part of goal setting is critical because it’s about making sure the goal is important to you. There is little point in investing time and effort into a goal that is not really important to you. Goals should spur us on to something significant. The relevance of the goal you set should also align well with your other life plans. Determine the relevance of a goal by answering some questions about the goal and your current life.

Questions like:
Does this goal seem worthwhile? Is the investment of time and effort worth the outcome?
Does it mesh well with my other efforts and goals? Are other aspects of your life going in the same direction?
Is this the right time for this goal? Does this goal fit with your personal goals? Does it make financial sense?
Am I the right person for this goal? Is this goal feasible? Do I have the skills and abilities to achieve this goal?

The answers to these questions will help you determine the relevance of the goal to your life. Some of these questions may not have clear and unambiguous answers. In answering some of these questions, you will need to dig deep to find out the real “why” of your desired goal so you know if it is relevant enough to move forward.

An example of a goal that is relevant to one’s life might be for someone whose goal is to advance in their field to make available online courses to gain knowledge and experience for their desired position. This plan is worthwhile because it provides professional experience. The courses are offered online so that one can take them at a time that is convenient for the subject. Online courses are affordable, so they are most likely financially worthwhile. Online courses ultimately move the individual forward toward an even greater goal, namely an eventual promotion.

The relevance of a goal is an important part of goal setting. Deciding if a goal is relevant helps you align your goals with the rest of your life, and helps you know if the goal is meaningful to you and if the time is right to achieve it. Sometimes you have to take a hard look at yourself and your life to determine the relevance of the desired goal.