Motivation & Self-Drive

Do you find it easy to set goals, make a plan, and achieve those goals?  Or are you more of a dreamer, someone who can see the end goal, but maybe gets lost along the way?

I've always believed that setting goals in life is important, whether it's a professional goal, a personal goal, or a social goal.  Setting goals keeps us focused on what we want to accomplish in our lifetime and keeps us inspired to keep plugging away at them slowly.  Goals can be both inspiring and frustrating because the end result is exciting, but the process of getting there can often be slow and tedious.

However, just because I love setting goals doesn't mean I'm good at following through on them.  It can be very difficult for me to follow through on the goals I set if I don't have someone working with me on a regular basis to make sure I get where I want to be.  If I have trouble discerning if I'm making progress or not, I assume I'm not and I lose interest.  I have to keep myself in a competitive environment and frame of mind if I am going to follow through on goals and make progress. 

Recently, I have been trying to set SMART goals.  This system works better for me because I know to set smaller goals that are very specific, with an end goal in mind.  Before, I would just make a big, general goal, that seemed unattainable.  Then, I would lose interest.  By setting smaller, more achievable goals, I am better equipped to make measurable progress and work my way toward the bigger goals.

As of the middle of February, I have started working with Nikki Bailey of Nikki Bailey Show Horses.  I've only had one lesson so far, but I'm excited to see how things progress and how our show season goes.  I'm really excited to have someone who is invested in my horse and my goals help me along on my way.  I feel like after 4 years, Lex and I might actually get somewhere and I'll remember why I've put all this work into insisting on keeping my horses and continuing to show as an adult.

What do you think about goals?  Do you think they are important to get things accomplished in life?  Or would you rather go through life and see what happens, without having a plan?