The big benefits of goal setting and how to boost your own chance of success

What’s your moon shot for 2023?

When in 1962 JFK famously said “we choose to go to the moon, and do the other things, not because it is easy, but because it is hard” he was laying down a challenge, a goal that he expected to be successful, and it was.

Goal setting is something many of us use to propel us to grow, improve and learn new skills because they help us to stay on track, retain focus and disregard all those pesky distractions that try to get in our way.

Studies have shown that the simple act of committing your goals to paper, sharing these with a trusted supporter and seeking regular feedback can significantly raise your chance of success in attaining your goal.

That’s why the last few weeks of 2022 are a great time to reflect on how things have gone for you. 

• Have things panned out as expected? 
• Did you surprise yourself by getting better-than-expected results? 
• Or did life or events get in your way?

You can then use these reflections to help you plan for “what’s next.” 

Have you decided what you want to achieve, worked out what you’ll need to get you there and determined the starting date?

The neuroscience of goal setting has revealed the many benefits of setting goals include achieving behavioural change (tricky in everyone’s books), maintaining focus, and sustaining the momentum needed to persevere and guard against boredom, self-doubt, and fatigue. Working towards a goal you are deeply committed to is energising and helps you to obtain greater mastery and capability.

Did you know, if you strongly desire to achieve your goal, that high degree of motivation changes your brain and helps you to see perceived obstacles as less significant?

And that by making your goal enough of a stretch you also increase your chance of success through increased focus, more effort and perseverance.

But sometimes we get goal setting wrong because we use the wrong language, we’re unsure of what the goal relates to or we’re not that motivated.

So let me ask you,

• Do you have clarity around your goal?
• Is it a big enough challenge?
• Are you really committed?
• What stories are you telling yourself?
• Is your ability and amount of effort you can devote, aligned with the complexity of your goal?

If you’re looking forward to a fresh start in 2023, if you’re wanting to do things differently, to embed some new helpful and healthy habits, and move towards being the best version of yourself, I hear you. Bring on 2023.

Hi, I'm Dr Jenny Brockis. I'm a medical practitioner and board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, keynote speaker and best-selling author.

I help people who are over-busy, overstretched and exhausted find the calm, clarity and confidence needed to enjoy a successful career AND live a fulfilled and rich life.

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