I would imagine it would be hard to get through life without having any goals. After all, we all seem to have them, no matter the size or their supposed importance in our lives. In fact, our whole lives are made up of smaller goals and bigger goals that coexist in harmony. Some of us could desire to be the next big actor/actress while also deciding to go grocery shopping in the afternoon. Others could dream of traveling the world while also making the plan to go walking after dinner. Our whole lives are made of plans and goals of all shapes and sizes. They are not only a part of life, they are also a part of who we are as people. The way we make goals for one day can directly influence how we would make goals for the next.
However, despite the prevalence in our day-to-day lives, not everyone views the idea of goal making and planning with great excitement and enthusiasm. After all, they do actually have an impact on our desires, our dreams, and our personality. Just from that surface look alone, goals can be quite the intimidating foe to approach. We want to make them and have projects and accomplishments to work towards on a day-to-day basis, but sometimes the goals and accomplishments we desire just seem so large and daunting in appearance. It can be terrifying sometimes to think about goals because in order to accomplish a plan or goal, there could be a lot of seemingly complicated steps along the way. Goals can be hard, in other terms, to think about because of visits from your good ole friend, anxiety.
I will admit, it can be anxiety-inducing at times to think about goals on such a large-scale basis. The smaller ones can be easily met and accomplished because the smaller they are, the easier they are to asses and conquer. After all, when something is so small, it is easier to see the starting point and destination without much struggle at all. However, once you place yourself on the trail of a long term goal, it can be increasingly difficult to discover where your goal begins, let alone ends. Plus, the steps along the way that were so clear and thought-out on a small-scale basis are now huge and looming in the distance. Often, the anxiety lingers around, haunting a person as they try to decipher what path is best to take on this long-term goal journey. the uncertainty and from it, the anxiety, are specters in our lives that are hard to completely shake off.
I know how hard it can be to view the bigger picture of a long-term goal; it is a feeling that I believe many college students on the verge of graduation know all too well. After all, the comfortable world of education is ending with its rigorous classes and structured day-to-day routine. Now, it is time to step out of our comfort zone and make a goal that will enter us into the working adult world. For many, this idea is all too crazy to think about. After all, most college students spend the education semesters of their college career being told where to go, when, and at what time. Now, our lives are in our own hands and honestly, it can be terrifying.
However, we don't have to let this uncertainty or anxiety haunt us forever. Sometimes all we have to do is view the long-term goals in our lives from a different perspective. After all, short term goals are easy to think about and accomplish. Sometimes, all you have to do is turn one large goal into a series of smaller goals. For example, turn the goal of becoming a famous writer into smaller goals of writing short stories, coming up with interesting ideas, researching the publishing industry, and even contacting some published authors for advice. These goals, though many in number, are smaller bites that are easier to chew in comparison to the large goal-meal. My parents always told me that we have to take life one day at a time. Maybe we also have to take our goals one smaller accomplishment at a time as well.
Making long-term goals can be very intimidating, especially for those who are entering into new stages of life. However, larger goals don't have to be as large and daunting as people make them out to be at first. Sometimes, all you have to do is break them down and look at them from a new perspective.