Why Long Term Goals Make or Break You

The only way a long term goal can break you is if you don’t have one. Period. At the end of the day, a man without a vision is certain to fail.

With that being said, if not having a long term goal will break you, the opposite must be true. Having a long term goal will lead you to success — every day of the week. Even if that goal changes over time as you learn, you need to have something to go off of. A starting point. You learn and adapt from there.

Some people might say, “Well short term goals are just as important”. Those people are right. But what do those short term goals contribute to? They should always contribute to a bigger picture. If they don’t, you are also doomed to fail. Let me explain.

Fitness

Let’s say you set a short term goal of working out in January 2 times week. That’s a great goal. But what about after January? You should want to work out 2–3 time per week in February and get to the point where you are working out 4 times per week consistently. But most people won’t even make it that far. This is because people look at their short term goal and don’t plan for what comes next. Maybe they accomplish that short term goal, but, once they are done, that’s it. They fall right back into the same pattern all over again.

Another example –

School

It’s your first semester on campus. You’re wide eyed and inspired to take on the world. You tell yourself, “I’m going to have a 3.0 this semester!” Awesome. Again, this is a great goal. What about after that semester though? You should want to perform just as well, if not better. Many students slip from here though. I know, because that’s how my first two years went.

For the record, I am now becoming entrenched in entrepreneurship and I have found success in sales roles that are normally reserved for people much older than myself. So if you aren’t doing so hot in school, it’s not the end of the world. I know several people who are very wealthy that never saw the inside of a college classroom, but that’s a blog for another day.

Back to the point. Do you see where I am going here? One easy way to stay in the same pattern of “life” is to not recognize the importance of setting long term goals. In 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now — where do you want to be and what do you want to be doing? I already know what I want life to look like at 30, and I’m only 22. In fact, I know what I need my life to look like at 30 so I know that I’m on track for success at 40 and 50. The only way that you or I can get to our long term goals, however, is if we:

Set short term goals that are a representation of your long term goals.

This is as simple as it sounds. Your short term goals should contribute towards your long term goals. These are stepping stones that you need to accomplish successfully in order to get the big win at the end of it all.

This is one of the most relevant keys to success. By setting long term goals, you give yourself an end game. Something that continues to inspire you despite the little accomplishments along the way and gets you through the tough times where things may not be going according to plan. Always keep your long term goals at the forefront of your mind, because having a vision for your life is what will make your life great.

I hope that this helps you wherever you are in life.

Connect with me on Twitter (@JoshRamos0818), or shoot me an email at josh@jramosonline.com.

– Josh