What happens when you set goals? Or seen in another way … what happens to us when we do not set goals? From an early age they instill in us the importance of projecting ourselves into the future with the “what will you be when you grow up?” In fact, we define who we are based on what we do and what we will do. What’s more, how heavy are the hours when during a time we run out of goals! We feel lost.
Martin Seligman in 1999 pointed out the importance for us, in addition to having a pleasant life , having a “life committed” to our values and strengths and a “meaningful life” where we can develop goals that give us a certain sense of life.
This is confirmed by science
In 1932 a surprising study was carried out with the nuns of a convent. Upon entering the convent, the mother superior asked the 180 nuns to write a letter talking a little about their life, how they felt, their motivations and what they expected from the future.
During their stay in the convent, they all had similar conditions, ate the same food and did similar activities. But the mood and motivations for entering were different. And this marked the difference between them. The experiment concluded that those who had narrated more positive and committed experiences and goals for the future lived longer and with better health conditions . Nothing less than 10 more years.
If you think about it, it makes sense because defining a goal and carrying it out brings us many positive things. It activates us physically and mentally because it allows us to have to learn , solve problems and meet new people . And all of that creates a better mood . In addition, it usually involves having to structure our day to day to achieve what we have set out to do and thereby improve our habits.
It doesn’t matter if they are small goals or bigger goals. We are not only talking about great achievements like climbing Everest or setting up an association in the neighborhood. They can be things like learning something new (like playing the piano, for example) or training for one day to complete the marathon in your city. Goals work as long as we feel committed and are valuable to us.
The most relevant thing is that self-concept and self- esteem depend a lot on the life story that we each do. The important thing is not the goal itself, but that when we go down that path to achieve it, we give ourselves the opportunity to overcome challenges and act according to our values. It is a pleasure to look back when we are overcoming stages and to realize all that we have walked and learned. In the end, the memories you build today will be the ones that define you tomorrow.
