Most people choose goals because the end result is the thing they want.
The problem is that most people have never really sat down and figured out what they want. They are chasing things that society has told them would be good to have. Or that they envy other people for having.
Some common goals:
- More money.
- Nice house.
- Better job.
Setting a goal for the end result is a recipe for misery.
Because the feeling you get from the end result will be fleeting.
The good feeling we get from achievement or reaching our target is a big rush of dopamine. This will last for a short while before our baseline is reset. When that happens, we will not be any happier than before we got what we were chasing.
So here is a better way to set goals:
Set your goals by how you will have to change to achieve them.
Think about the kind of person you want to be.
Choose a goal that, in the pursuit of it, will force you to grow into that person. What skills do you want? Choose a goal that will force you to learn them.
The end result will still be a reward, but now the journey will be just as rewarding.
Who you become is more important than what you have.
This is why many lottery winners or people who come into quick wealth lose the money. They didn’t grow into their wealth. But now that you know, you can set better goals and grow into the person you want to become.