By now, you’re probably feeling up to your eyeballs in goals this, goals that. Honestly, I think a lot of people read the word “goals” and their eyes glaze over. Because goals can feel ambiguous, especially when they are lofty and too far out in advance. Many people develop 10-year plans and five-year plans. These long-term goals are powerful tools to motivate yourself to reach your potential. However, I am personally a big proponent for short-term goals.
Your brain is designed to handle short-term goals
Our brains view time according to either “now deadlines” or “someday deadlines.” And “now deadlines” often fall within this calendar month. Let’s be honest, how many of us were the students who waited until the night before a paper was due to start it? That was where I thrived. It’s not so much the concept of working well under pressure as it is our brains want a tangible deadline.
We’re more likely to procrastinate when it comes to working on the goals you categorize as “later,” because something else more urgent always gets first priority. Setting short-term goals can help us stay on track and gain momentum throughout the entire year.
Quick progress builds momentum
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t set long-term goals, because everyone still needs them. But what you have to do if you truly want to accomplish those lofty dreams is to break it down into smaller, more digestible chunks. As humans, we’re motivated by results, and seeing progress builds momentum. With short-term goals, your hard work will begin to pay off fast. And when you begin to see results, it’s easier to stay motivated. Building momentum early can help you stay on course and accomplish your long-term goals easily.
Well-planned short-term goals make people happier
If you are working with a team, some of your teammates probably are organizer personalities, so they will automatically love planning and give their constructive feedback concerning any plans. However — ironically — less-organizing personalities actually benefit just as much from a clear, objective-based structure, because it allows them to avoid extraneous distractions and direct their creativity toward the task at hand.
You can only control today
Goals of all sizes feel much more achievable when you’re looking at what’s directly in front of you. Today is the one and the only opportunity we have to acquire, to achieve, to overcome, to let go — whatever the end goal is — you’ll only get there by the actions you take today. A short-term goal is an achievement in itself, but it’s also a stepping stone to a larger goal.
