Man is a rational creature and endowed with something that animals do not have, namely, the search for the meaning of life. The purpose and meaning of being are interconnected things and follow each other: first the goal, and then the meaning. That is why it is so important to determine your goals. In addition, it is important to understand what the purpose is.
Goal concept
The conscious image of the anticipated result is the goal. In other words, we can say that the goal is the mental visualization of the final result. That is, you need to imagine, and as bright and natural as possible, what we want to have in the end. It doesn’t matter what the result is, whether it’s a well-paid job or a slim figure. It is the goal that is most clearly understood, and will help us achieve the final result.
If the goal is vague and unclear, the conscious image of the anticipated result cannot be recreated in any way in your imagination, then the result will be appropriate or simply none. Goals are very important in the life of any person, because when we achieve them, we increase our self-esteem, significance and belonging to the society that we all need.
What should be the goal
As mentioned above, a conscious image of the anticipated result is simply necessary when it comes to any goal in life. The famous American psychologist Albert Bandura, who was closely involved in the study of this issue, identified several important aspects that characterize the optimal goal. These include the following:
- Concreteness and clarity. The conscious image of the anticipated result - this is the goal, which is understandable, and not vague. Otherwise, achieving the result would be difficult.
- Proximity If the goal is very far, then the image of its result is difficult to imagine, which already dooms the final goal to failure in advance.
- Difficulty, but reachability. There must be a middle ground. On the one hand, a goal that is too light makes you relax, and too heavy gives a persistent feeling of helplessness.
- Stage-by-stage, which gives a feeling of small victories at each stage, and also helps to cope with failures quite easily.
Characteristics of Heinrich Altshuler
The famous author of the theory of solving inventive problems also formulated the characteristics of the goal that can satisfy any individual.
These characteristics include the following:
- Concreteness and practicality. Without these two components, the goal turns into something difficult and ultimately unnecessary. There should be a clear sequence of actions, as well as a clear understanding of the meaning of actions.
- Novelty is either in new ways of achieving a result, or in the uniqueness of a goal itself.
- Ahead of your time. The goal should not keep up with the times, it should be ahead of it, and how much is up to the individual to decide.
- Significance and usefulness to society. The goal should be noble and bear a socially useful load, otherwise, achieving it will not bring good results to those who so sought for it.
If the characteristics of the goal presented by Albert Bandura are general in nature, therefore they are suitable for wide groups of people, then the characteristics of Altshuler are for a narrower circle of people who make a significant contribution to the science and history of mankind. That is why, if we take into account that the conscious image of the anticipated result is the ultimate goal, it is important that it meets all the above characteristics and aspects.
Goal setting
When the goal is already clear and understandable, we can assume that this is a huge achievement on the path to its implementation. Without understanding the goal, it is impossible to achieve anything in life at all.
Now let's turn to the goal setting algorithm . What stages do you need to lose in your mind on the way to achieving the goal? So, the specifics are already there, now it is important to formulate the goal in such a way that the responsibility for its implementation rests entirely and exclusively on you. Otherwise, there will always be a loophole to transfer the measure of responsibility to others, and then blame them for failing to achieve the goal. That is why you need to rely only on yourself, not taking into account third parties.
Next, it is necessary to mentally recreate the moment when the goal has already been achieved. We can say that the conscious image of the anticipated result is the goal almost reached, that is why it is important to try to keep this image as long as possible. This will be the motivation that is necessary to achieve the goal.
Emotions and feelings during the reconstruction of the image
Our emotions and feelings during the mental reproduction of the final result will serve as an indicator of how well the goal is chosen and will fill our internal needs in the end.
If the feelings are negative, you are uncomfortable and uncomfortable, this is a signal that something is wrong. In this case, you need to go back, first at one stage, and again check your emotions and feelings. If again there is a feeling of discomfort, then something should be changed. It is possible that a change will be needed at the very beginning when setting a goal.
As mentioned above, the goal is almost achieved if there is a persistent conscious image of the anticipated result. Its achievement is affected by our ability to focus on this image, as well as our attitude to this image. That is why it is so important to keep track of your emotions and take them into account.
If everything is in order with emotions, there is no negative, you can safely move on.
Conclusion
After you have completed all the previous steps, you can still conduct one check that the target was chosen correctly. Try to imagine your life after the goal is already achieved. What will change in life and in the relationship between relatives and friends? A conscious image of an anticipated result is called a goal, so this image will help you understand whether you made the right choice.
If the soul remains calm and firmly convinced that the path that you have chosen is yours, you can safely move towards the realization of the goal. And the result will not disappoint you!