Architects need a blueprint to build a house. Entrepreneurs need a business plan to run their businesses. Scientists need a hypothesis (an expected outcome) to do research.
Have you ever thought of what we need to build a fulfilling and successful life?
As Zig Ziglar, a motivational speaker, said, “to build a life, it is important to have a goal.”
Goals are your life blueprint. They help you decide where you want to go, what you want to achieve and tell you where you need to focus. Ultimately, you can take control of your life and live up to your fullest potential when you have clear goals.
Without goals, you could spend your whole life running up and down and not achieve anything. You will end up living to fulfill other people’s goals, not yours.
Most people have goals in life, however, many still struggle to live a fulfilled and successful life.
The reason is that most people are setting goals the wrong way; they were confused by 2 types of goals: ends goals and means goals.
“A means to an end” is an English idiom that explains a means is something to help you on your way to achieve something greater.
Means goals are the goals that we were taught to make:
On the other hand, end goals are goals that truly make us human. Goals like being happy, helping the community, transforming people’s lives, or being a caring child.
As you have probably guessed it, means goals are sub-goals that help take you where you want to go, which is your end goal.
If your life goals only consist of means goals, you may find an empty and unfulfilled life at the end of the road. Fifty years later, you might ask yourself, “Is this what life is all about?”
This is why it is important to differentiate between means goals and ends goals, so you will focus on what truly matters in life: the end goals.
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You need to ask yourself the 3 most important questions to help you cut through the noises and set end goals true to yourself.
These 3 questions allow you to focus on specific ends goals that will serve your happiness.
Better yet, take a piece of paper and split it into 3 columns, each column for one question. Start journaling your thoughts and keep it visible at your work desk.
Remember, it is not your means goals that will make you happy and fulfilled. It is your end goal. So, set your end goals and focus on achieving them.
