The worst thing you can do in life is not set goals.
Setting goals and achieving them generates a high level of personal satisfaction; It’s true, sometimes it happens that you don’t meet them and that stresses you out; However, greater well-being is experienced than when you do not set any type of goal.
In other words, having a purposeful life is more satisfying.
Of course it makes you want to live without pressure, but how horrible it is to let others decide for you or abandon yourself to adversity or circumstances without fighting for a better and pleasant life.
If you realize, purpose is the great thing you get up to fight for every day. The artist, the writer, the filmmaker, the musician, pursue their masterpiece; politicians (real), sociologists, doctors, psychologists, economists, etc., want a better society; scientists seek to save humanity and the planet; Religious people want greater human fraternity and contact with the transcendent. Each one with their great nuances because they are all different.
The important thing about purpose is that it becomes a guide that provides you with values that will help you make decisions.
I imagine it as a compass that tells you the direction, but allows you to choose the route and the means you are going to use to move forward. For example, continuing with the analogy, which towns are you going to cross and which ones are you going to stop at; In which places are you going to stop to contemplate or fight to grow; whether you will dive into the water, climb or get on a sailboat to sail freely.
So we can see two important tasks to improve well-being in our lives:
1. A purpose, with its thousands of intermediate goals that we usually specify at this time of year, and
2. Build habits that help us conquer them.
The purpose is something personal. I really like to give the example of Alexa Moreno, the best Mexican gymnast, the first to occupy a podium in world championships and fourth place in the Olympic Games. At some point in her life she made it her goal to be the best in that discipline.
To achieve this, she set small goals: she improved her diet, imposed a sleeping routine, worked on discipline in many activities, not just in the gym (she is an architect), and took systematic care of her mental health. What a proud result, right?
Meanwhile, habits are that support that helps us do something almost without thinking about it, like a physical reflex. For example, although I am shy, I have had to get used to speaking in public. I can’t say I don’t get nervous, but I think I convey what I want to say efficiently.
When we do not have some behavior well trained, for example, getting up early, it is difficult to get up early, but with perseverance it is achieved. The important thing is that this habit serves your purpose.
I share with you some tips for building habits, which are compiled very well by Tom Rath, specialist in leadership and well-being, and James Clear, author of Atomic Habits.
-Build the conditions. Do you want to sleep early? Don’t make appointments, exercise, or eat late dinners. Do not work or be distracted by bright screens at least two hours before going to bed; Put on your pajamas, turn off the light, avoid noise, and go to sleep.
-Start with low degrees of difficulty. Before Alexa Moreno did a front somersault with a twist and a half on her axis after jumping the rack, she first learned to do some twists on the ground.
-Appreciate your achievements. That first rope on the ground is as valuable as an Olympic medal. Observe and recognize your progress, do not ignore them. Remember that it is very easy to lose a habit you have already gained.
-Gratifícate. Maybe you don’t like public speaking, but it is important to be a great leader, a good salesperson, a teacher. Every time you do a routine to prepare yourself, have that coffee or tea that you like so much; from time to time that donut, something that makes you feel rewarded.
-Support groups. Whatever habit you want to develop, you will surely find a support group. There are people there who will teach you how to overcome your learning curve more quickly and with less trauma.
So now you know: purpose, goals and habits are the best things you can do for your life.
Contact:
Rosalinda Ballesteros is director of the Institute of Integral Wellbeing Sciences of Tecmilenio.
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The opinions expressed are solely the responsibility of their authors and are completely independent of the position and editorial line of Forbes Mexico.
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