Why Focusing On Short AND Long Term Goals is Important

Setting goals is important in all aspects of your life. Whether it’s a health and fitness goal, a financial target, or a relationship aspiration, goal setting is linked to higher achievement.

When you have a goal, it sets a focus. You can lay out a set of actionable steps that will eventually lead you towards your goal. Having something to work towards is a key driver of motivation. Without a goal, you might lack direction or struggle to figure out the next steps.

Goal setting needs to involve both short-term and long-term aspirations.  Everyone should have at least one short term goal and one long-term goal.

It’s great to know where you’d like to be in the next 10 years but where do you want to be in the next 10 months or even in the next 10 weeks? Your long-term goals are usually much bigger and they might not seem fully attainable at this stage. But that’s okay! That’s why they are long-term goals.

Your long-term goals define what you want in your future. Better yet, these goals aren’t fixed. If you’re setting a target to achieve something in five years’ time, you might adapt this goal through the years.

Things can change a lot in the space of a few years or even within a few months. You can adapt your short-term, actionable goals to ensure that you achieve those for the long term.

Setting smaller goals that are more attainable at this present moment is great to keep you motivated. It’s also much easier to monitor your progress with shorter goals. You can identify what works well and what might need changing when it comes to your shorter goals. Any changes that you make may set the foundations for you to achieve your long-term goals too.

Writing your goals down is one of the best ways to keep your goals at the forefront of your mind at all times and this will help to keep you on track. This is applicable to both short and long-term goals.

Write them on sticky notes and hang them up on your bedroom walls to spot them when you're getting into bed. Stick them in your bathroom so you can read them each morning when you're brushing your teeth.