What do you want to achieve, experience, and enjoy in your life? With the hustle and pressure of your day-to-day commitments, it’s all too easy to lose sight of the big picture. When your to-do list is calling and you’re weighed down by responsibility, you can get lost in the flow of life. Then, before you know it, 10 years have passed and you’re left wondering what you’ve got to show for all that time! The good news is there’s a simple tool you can use that can help you maximize your years. It’s your life goals list.
In this blog, I’ll reveal five reasons why you want to create your life goals list - and how to start building yours today.
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” - Bill Gates
1. Get yourself in the driver’s seat of your life
Do you ever feel as though you’re on autopilot - drifting along through life? It’s so easy to fall into this trap. For example, you find yourself doing the things that others want of you. You stay in the same job for years because it’s comfortable and what you know. You stick with routines that are well worn because you know who you are inside them.
There’s nothing wrong with going with the flow, but don’t flow so far that you lose sight of what you really desire.
A life goals list allows you to take back control because you get to choose the things you’re working towards. Life goals give you focus. They make you proactive. They empower you to grab life by the scruff of the neck. Instead of allowing things to unravel, you get to set a direction that takes you closer to the life and experiences you want.
2. Spark your reticular activating system
When I was pregnant with my first child, suddenly I was surrounded by pregnant women everywhere! It wasn’t that there was a surge in pregnancies, rather my brain was more aware of other pregnant women - because it was an experience that was important to me.
It’s the same way that everyone’s driving the car you want to buy or wearing the watch you’ve got your eyes on.
Your brain can’t consciously focus on all the stimuli and information it’s bombarded with everyday. Instead, it has to get selective.
When you set life goals, you give your brain that focus. You tell it what’s most important to you. It’s how opportunities that will help you achieve your goals seem to miraculously appear! It’s no accident. Instead, when you’re focused on what you want, you’ll be more alert to the people, experiences, and events that will help you achieve them.
3. No regrets
Life is short. You have a finite amount of time on planet Earth - so you may as well make the most of it!
A life goals list gives you the space to think about what you actually want to see, experience, feel, taste, touch, achieve, and do. The simple act of setting an intention and writing out your list brings all the things you want a step closer.
The more things you check off your bucket list, the fewer regrets you’ll have.
And the sooner you start the better.
Different life goals will take different amounts of time. You could achieve some this year or even this month. Others may take years - even decades, but the sooner you start, the more time you’ll have to play with (and the more you’ll get to do with your life).
4. Know yourself
By their nature, your life goals will push you out of your comfort zone and inspire you to take on things you’ve never done before.
As a result, your life goals provide incredible learning experiences that will help you get to know who you are, what you’re passionate about, and how far you can push yourself.
Under pressure or in intense situations, some of your greatest hidden qualities will emerge.
You’ll realize that you’re stronger than you thought, braver than you thought, and more resilient than you thought.
And through the pursuit of your goals, you’ll also learn new skills, grow as an individual, and become your best self.
5. Feel happier
A life well lived - filled with the experiences you crave and the adventures and achievements that make you feel alive will fuel a deep sense of fulfillment inside you.
You’ll feel more successful.
More sure of yourself.
More aware of your strengths, skills, and unique talents.
A full life - rich with all the things you desire - will make you feel happier and filled with a deep sense of satisfaction and contentment.
It’s that feeling of knowing you gave it your best and made the most of what you had.
How to create a life goals list
It’s super simple to create a life goals list. All you need is a notebook, a blank sheet of paper, or a new Google doc.
I suggest you break your life goals into categories, for example:
Setting categories allows you to take a holistic approach to your goal setting - so you create a range of experiences across every area of life that’s important to you.
With your categories drawn up, write down all the things you want to do.
Include the big things, for example:
And the little things, such as:
Don’t censor yourself.
Remember that Bill Gates quote - “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” Just because you can’t perceive how you’ll achieve a goal right now, doesn’t mean you won’t be able to in the years to come. That’s the beauty of a goal-fueled life… each time you achieve something outside your comfort zone you transform your future possibilities.
With your list written, keep it safe and refer to it often. Always be working towards something on that list.
Even better, share your list with the people closest to you - so they know what you want to achieve in your life. If you’re in a relationship, create your life goals list together. Inspire your kids to start one too.
One more thing… your life goals list is going to continue evolving. It will get shorter as you check things off and it will get longer as you’re inspired to add more things to it. Embrace this evolution and enjoy how your list inspires you to get the most out of your life.
Tools to achieve your life goals list
When you’re ready to focus on a particular goal from your life goals list, we’ve got the tools to help you succeed. For example:
With Best Self tools providing the framework to help you succeed, you could go a lot further.
