I Have No Goals: How to Set Goals When You Have No Idea What You Want

Goal setting is super-important for a fulfilled life: you've probably heard it a million times. That is the truth. The most successful people on earth set goals, make plans and work towards achieving those goals. You will also need to set goals to achieve success. Writing down your goals significantly improves your chances of achieving them.

While most of us understand the importance of goal setting, some of us have little or no idea of where we are headed and the sort of goals to set. If you fall under this category, do not fret about it. There is nothing wrong with you or your attitude to life, and you are certainly not alone. However, there are a few things you can do to gain more clarity and write down realistic goals for your life. 

Are you ready to start from scratch to write your goals? Here are some of the best ways to identify what you really want and write down some goals that will guide you to the life your inner man craves for:

Be Relaxed About the Idea of Setting Goals 

The way most motivational speakers and writers discuss goals can complicate things for someone who is simple-minded. If you are one of the many people who believe that goals must always be something big and mind-blowing, it is time you reconsider your stand and refine your belief. 

Truly, goals can change your life, but they are not something that should create fear in your head. It doesn't always have to be about finances and material success. It doesn't always have to be something that will measure you up to societal expectations. Your goals should be something you want. Something that comes from within - something you shouldn't be afraid of.

To set goals that you can achieve without torturing your mind, start by getting relaxed about the entire thing. When you realize that your goals matter to no one else in the world, you will begin to feel less pressure about setting it and achieving it. 

Being relaxed about the idea of setting goals means you will not be perturbed about any goal you set out to achieve. It also means you will never allow a goal that is imposed upon you by others or society. Be calm, and write down what you truly want for yourself.

You Can Start With the Things You Enjoy 

If you have no idea about setting goals, one of the best ways to get started is to consider the things you truly enjoy. Some call it interests and passion: you know those things that gladden your heart when you do them. The things you will want to keep doing even when no one is paying attention. The thing you will still want to do even when friends and family make fun of it. 

Your passion can be anything; music, dance, writing, football – anything at all that make you happy. You can set goals to improve on them. You can set a goal to invest in your time and energy to develop your passion. For the sake of clarity, you can set a goal to master one musical instrument and play in front of a sizable audience. 

A simpler approach to writing down your goals from the things you enjoy is to list them out first and observe if there are goals buried in them—even the things you consider as hobbies can easily turn to something big and meaningful. Go through the things you enjoy carefully and see if there are goals you can write down from them.

Reverse the Things You Don’t Like 

This is more like reversing the exercise in the previous point. If your interests and passions are not fully defined, or they are not yielding goals you consider worthwhile, you can explore your fears and the things you don’t want. There are certain things you detest. You can write them down and find ways to ensure that they are not part of your life and will not affect you in any way. 

If you are sincere with yourself and know how to think deeply, you can easily come up with things you don't want in your life. You may not want to be overweight; you may not want to be in debt; you may not want to work in a job you hate; you may not want to have a bad relationship with your family members.

When you write down the things you don't need in your life, you can turn them around to derive goals you can pursue for a healthier and happier life. The goals may be to maintain a healthy weight; to create wealth through passive income; to pursue your dreams, and monetize your passions; to always communicate with your family members and settle a disagreement as soon as possible.

Consider the Key Areas of Life 

You can also gain more clarity about goals to write down and pursue when you consider the key areas of life. Now, different writers will suggest different key areas of life, but Jack Canfield's suggestion in his book, The Success Principles, is quite comprehensive. According to him, the key areas include:

• Financial
• Job/career
• Physical health
• Relationship
• Personal development
• Community 

You can use the key areas listed above to write down important goals that will shape your life. One useful exercise that can help you find the right goals is to assign an honest score (between 0 and 10) to these key areas of life. Look at the areas you score low and set goals to make improvements. There should be a balance in all the key areas of your life. 

Setting goals is fundamental to achieving success in life. There are a few things you can do when you are finding it difficult to set meaningful goals, and we have summarized them here. We sincerely hope that this piece helps you set important goals that will add meaning to your life.