Why Set Goals?

You're always hearing about setting goals, having targets, defining the results you want to achieve. I talk about it a lot myself. But really, why do you need to set goals? What do you actually get out of it?

What Is a Goal?

A goal is a result you want to achieve, one that requires precisely defining a measurable target within a given timeframe. You can have personal goals, around your physical health, mental health, relationships, hobbies, finances, for example, and professional goals. Goals push us to go further, to step outside our comfort zone, to try new things. They push us to grow.

Why Set Goals?

Let me walk you through the real benefits, for you, of setting goals.

1. To Stay Motivated

Setting goals helps you stay motivated. They push you to measure your progress, and therefore to see how far you've come, which is very motivating. It's genuinely important to always take the time to notice the results you've achieved and your progress over time. We tend to focus far too often on what we haven't done rather than what we have, and that's a mistake.

This mechanism is well documented: researcher Teresa Amabile of Harvard Business School showed, in research published in the Harvard Business Review, that simply feeling like you're making progress, even in small steps, has the single biggest measured positive effect on motivation at work. Without a clear goal, there's not even any progress to observe: that's the real problem.

2. To Identify the Right Actions and Eliminate the Useless Ones

Setting goals also means taking the time to break them down into concrete actions to achieve them. If you take the time to properly prioritize those same actions day to day, you'll genuinely take actions that lead you toward what you truly want in life. Your goals become a reference point for determining whether your actions are useful, whether they're aligned with the results you want.

This is actually one of the most solidly confirmed theories in all of organizational psychology. Goal-setting theory, developed by researchers Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, and synthesized by the American Psychological Association after more than 400 studies conducted over 35 years, shows that specific, challenging goals consistently lead to better performance than the simple advice to "do your best." In other words, "doing your best" without a clear goal isn't just less effective: research shows it rarely produces good results at all.

3. To Make Sure You Keep Growing

Nobody wants to stay in the same place their whole life. I'm sure you want to progress, keep learning, and get better day by day. Otherwise, you wouldn't be reading this article. Setting goals helps you maintain that constant growth, because you'll choose goals that challenge you and help you grow.

4. To Get Results Faster

Somewhat in line with useful versus useless actions: by setting goals and aligning your actions toward them, you'll reach your results faster, because you'll be able to recognize the importance of each action and avoid wasting time on the wrong ones.

5. To Build Discipline

Discipline is really the key to staying consistent long-term. Not motivation. Motivation comes and goes. Discipline is what keeps you on track even when you're less motivated. Setting goals helps you build strong discipline into your life, because your desire to reach them will remind you why you're doing what you do every day.

6. To Visualize

Goals are excellent for visualizing your dreams. Visualization contributes to your motivation, your consistency, your discipline, your good habits, and so on. Action matters, but visualization shouldn't be overlooked either.

Here's an interesting fact that often comes as a surprise: visualization alone, without a concrete plan, can actually hurt your ability to reach your goals. Psychologist Gabriele Oettingen, of New York University, spent over 25 years studying this phenomenon. According to her research, described in her book Rethinking Positive Thinking, the more people positively imagine their future without confronting the real obstacles in the way, the less likely they are to actually make that future happen. The brain essentially confuses the dream with the accomplishment, which paradoxically reduces motivation to act. Her solution, which she calls "mental contrasting," involves combining positive visualization with an honest identification of the obstacles that might stand in the way, followed by a concrete plan to work around them. In other words: dream, but also confront reality, or visualization alone can backfire on you.

7. To Boost Your Self-Esteem

I want to be clear about one thing: your self-esteem shouldn't depend on what you manage to accomplish in a single day or month. You're allowed to be less productive when you need to be. That said, we can't deny that when you realize everything you've actually managed to do (because we're often capable of more than we let ourselves believe), your self-esteem gets a boost.

8. To Reward Yourself

Higher self-esteem is great, but let's be honest, we want more rewards! You're allowed to reward yourself when you achieve great results. Take the time to treat yourself, spoil yourself, give yourself new experiences when you reach a goal.

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If structuring your goals on paper or in a digital tool isn't naturally your strength, a Notion template or a spreadsheet already designed for this can save you that step, often the most intimidating one to start on your own.

If you'd like to read more articles on goals, here's another suggested read: How to Build Momentum to Achieve Big Goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is visualizing my goals enough to achieve them?

No, and it's counterintuitive: research shows that positive visualization alone, without a concrete plan to overcome obstacles, can actually hurt your motivation to act.

Why do my vague goals never work?

Because research in organizational psychology shows, across hundreds of studies, that specific, challenging goals consistently lead to better results than simply "doing your best."

Should I rely on motivation to stay consistent with my goals?

Not only. Discipline, fueled by clear goals, is what keeps you on track when natural motivation dips.

Can I have personal and professional goals at the same time?

Yes, and it's even recommended. Goals can touch every area of your life: health, relationships, finances, career.

Talk soon!