Goals For The Future

The importance of goal setting goes without saying, whether it’s health goals, relationship goals, personal goals, or life goals in general. Everyone has heard of the typical “I’m going to make a million dollars” or “This year I’m going to travel the world and make a positive impact” but… these are hard to just jump into without first building a foundation. Huge goals through goal setting are great and dandy, but nobody ever talks about the ones that will truly help build you into someone that you would personally look up to. I’ve gotten rid of the fluff for you, here are 5 life-changing goals for the future that will absolutely change your life.

1. Live Harmoniously with Family

A great life goal is to aim to live in harmony with your family, which is sometimes a lot easier said than done. This doesn’t mean you have to be best friends with them, but understanding that moving forward in life is a whole lot easier and smoother when you don’t have any demons to fight with at home, is everything.

It’s not easy, but for a better life and future, it’s absolutely worth it.

How to Live Harmoniously with Family

Always communicate and never keep things bottled up
Be understanding and never judgmental
Make sacrifices for one another when needed
Never go to bed angry

It’s important for everyone to get together and set family values and traditions, otherwise nobody will have anything to look back to for structure when times get rough.

Important Family Value Goals

“I’m not going to let work consume me so that I am neglecting my spouse or family”
“I will not put my families comfort above mine even in the face of disagreements”
“I will fully listen to the others side before giving my final thoughts.

2. Read a New Book Every Month

You’ve heard it before. The benefits of reading a new book every month have such a long list of benefits that I can’t list them all down for you, I don’t have that much time to spend. I will, however, give a few.

Benefits of Reading

Allows you to learn EXACTLY how to do whatever it is you’re searching for in life, by someone who has already done it
Improves brain activity and fights the risk of cognitive decline
Lowers blood pressure and heart rate, which also reduces stress

These are just a small few of the many benefits that I personally love that reading has to provide.

Living a Fulfilling Life Through Reading

Here’s something to think about. A lot of folks are living life working a career that they don’t enjoy, they don’t have a work life balance, and aren’t hitting their financial goals.

People aren’t working a career that would make them happy, make them more money and allow them more time with their family all because… They don’t know how or where to start.

There are books on how to do anything your heart desires, step by step, with exactly what you’re going to encounter during those times.. that’s crazy! The crazier part is… People don’t read them.

Different Ways to Read

Consuming knowledge in this day and age is no longer the same as it was 50 years ago. Yes, we still have books and people are still reading them, however there’s a new form of knowledge consumption that is slowly but surely taking over.

Books
Audio Books
eBooks
Articles/Blog Posts
Podcasts

Each way has its own unique benefits and drawbacks, which I will list for you below:

Books:

Allow you to take in physical objects, can be loaned out or given as gifts, provides the greatest sense of ownership

Audio Books:

Great for commuters or those who enjoy multi-tasking, some narrators are better than others

eBooks:

Perfect for traveling light, easy to search for keywords or phrases, can highlight text and make notes

Articles/Blog Posts:

Great for skimming and finding specific information, can be commented on and shared with others

Podcasts:

Perfect for learning while you work out or clean the house, often include interviews or panels of experts rather than one narrator.

The world is changing faster than we could have ever imagined, which means that our methods of consuming knowledge (and therefore improving our lives) must change as well. It’s up to you find what works best for you and stick with it!

3. Build a Website and Blog

Why build a website?

One of the best things you can do for yourself, and your family, is to build a website.

Why? Because it allows you to share your knowledge with the world. It doesn’t matter what your topic is, there’s a blog post or article waiting to be written. And once it’s published, not only will you have helped educate others on the subject, but you’ll also have built an online presence that could lead to future opportunities. TopResume has a great article on this subject.

Here’s the way I think about it… There’s somebody, somewhere out there that Tony Robbins isn’t able to reach, that Jim Rohn wasn’t able to help. They need someone like me to convey the message in a way they can understand to help them to live a fulfilling and happy life.

If you have some type of expertise on something, there’s somebody else out there that is dying to learn how to do it. On top of this, the feeling you get by helping others is unmatched.

Tips on How to Build a Website

There are a million and one ways to build a website, which is why I’m not going to go into details on how to do it. That’s what the internet is for! Instead, I’m going to give you a few tips that will help make the process easier:

Pick a platform:

There are dozens of platforms to choose from, but WordPress is my personal favorite because of its ease of use and flexibility

Find a web host:

This is the company that will store your website files and provide you with an address (or domain name) so people can find your site

Select a theme:

Themes allow you to change the look and feel of your website without having to know any coding

Create content:

This is the most important part of your website, so take your time and make sure it’s high quality

Promote your site:

Once you’ve created content, don’t sit back and wait for people to find it. Promote it on social media, submit it to article directories, and more.

Building a website is a great way to share your knowledge with the world, and can lead to future opportunities if done correctly. Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way!

4. Learn How to Meditate

What is Meditation?

In short, it’s a way to bring awareness to the present moment which helps with a laundry list of things and is widely used all over the world to help with peace of mind.

Meditation is a practice that has been around for thousands of years, and for good reason. It’s one of the best ways to improve your mental and emotional health, increase focus and productivity, and more. There’s a good reason why people like:

Russell Simmons
Lady Gaga
Ellen Degeneres
Hugh Jackman

and so many more meditate.

Meditation and Personal Development

There are a number of reasons why you might want to learn how to meditate:

You’re stressed out and looking for a way to relax
You want to increase your focus and productivity
You’re struggling with anxiety or depression
You’re interested in improving your mental and emotional health
You want to learn how to control your thoughts and emotions
You’re looking for ways to live a more peaceful and stress-free life

Meditation can help with all of these things (and more), which is why it’s such an important practice. And the great thing is, anyone can do it! You don’t have to be flexible or have a “perfect” meditation posture. All you need is a few minutes per day, some patience, and a willingness to learn.

How to Get Started with Meditation

Despite all of its benefits, meditation can be a little intimidating for beginners. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Find a quiet place:

This may seem like common sense, but it’s important to find a space where you can relax and focus without any distractions.

Sit comfortably:

You don’t need to sit in a specific position, but make sure you’re comfortable so you can stay seated for the duration of your practice.

Close your eyes:

This will help you focus on your breath and thoughts more easily.

Take deep breaths:

In through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to keep your breaths slow and steady.

Start with five minutes:

If this is your first time meditating, start with five minutes and work your way up. You can always meditate for longer if you have the time.

If you’re new to meditation, just follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to peace and happiness.

5. Journal Every Single Day

I journal every single day and have been doing so for over a year now. This is the only way that I can remember the important things that go on throughout the course of the day. You simply can’t leave the important stuff up to “I have to remember that for later” because 9 times out of 10… you don’t.

Why Journal?

One of the best ways to improve your mental and emotional health is to journal every day. This is where you keep up with your career goals, your good habits, your well being, your new skills, your mistakes, your success, your personal development as a whole…

you get the point.

Here are a few reasons why you should journal:

It helps you express your personal goals:

Journaling allows you to get all of your thoughts and feelings out in the open, which can be really helpful if you’re struggling with something and trying to have a proper mindset and live a fulfilling life. It also makes it easier to reflect on your emotions and figure out what’s going on inside your head.

It increases self-awareness:

When you start writing down your thoughts and experiences, you’ll start to see patterns emerge. This increased self-awareness can help you understand yourself better and make positive changes in your life.

It boosts creativity:

If you’re having trouble coming up with new ideas, journaling can help. The act of writing down your thoughts and experiences can help you come up with new ideas and be more creative.

It helps you deal with stress:

When you’re stressed out, journaling can be a great way to release those negative emotions. Writing about your problems can help you find solutions and calm down.

It’s a form of self-care:

Taking time for yourself every day to journal is a great way to practice self-care. It allows you to relax and reflect on your life, which is essential for your mental health.

Alternatives to Physically Writing in a Journal

If you’re not a fan of physically writing in a journal, there are plenty of alternatives:

Blogging:

Blogging (what I’m doing right this second) is a great way to express your thoughts and feelings, increase self-awareness, boost creativity, and deal with stress. It’s also a form of self-care.

Bullet Journaling:

Bullet journaling is a popular trend right now that involves tracking your day-to-day tasks and activities. It can be a great way to increase productivity and keep track of your goals.

Evernote:

Evernote is an online note taking app that allows you to write down your thoughts and ideas. You can also attach files, photos, and other documents to your notes.

Speaking to your phone:

Today, you don’t even have to physically write or type at all. A great method to jot notes down this day and age… is to tell your phone to write down what you’re thinking. I use this in the car all the time.

Personal Life Afterwards

Every category listed in this post can lead you to a more happy and fulfilling life, whether you do them by themselves or achieve all of them as a whole.

As long as you’re making progress towards achievement of your well-being… your personal life will be that of what once seemed a distant dream.

Take note of your accomplishments and be sure to practice gratitude, because you’ll lose track of how amazing you’re doing and won’t realize anything has changed for a long time without doing so.

Closing

Personal growth is so important. So much so, that if you were to go on without making an effort to do anything differently, you’ll almost certainly live an unfulfilling life.

Life is up and down and always will be that way… for everyone. The difference isn’t in what happens to you and it isn’t in who hits the biggest goals. The difference is you and your development as a person, and as long as you’re improving every day there’s nothing you can’t handle.

To close this blog, I’d like to refer to a quote that sums up everything and all you need to know by my favorite motivational speaker of all time.

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.” -Jim Rohn

Love,

Mason