According to Isaac Newton, all systems tend to disorganize and deteriorate. This universal principle is called “entropy.” It affects everything in the Universe every second, including everything in your life — if left alone, it will eventually fall apart.
So it’s paramount to bring into the system and order every aspect of your existence; this is what goal-setting does. And this life-organizing process starts with writing powerful goal statements.
No matter what you want in life, the first step is to decide you want it. Then you commit and set a goal and move towards its realization.
What Is a Goal Statement?
A goal statement is a written description of your long-term goal. It guides you on your path and helps you find your purpose. Simply put, it’s your vision of the future that reflects your deepest aspirations for your life.
According to Jon Butcher, creator of Lifebook and trainer of Mindvalley’s Lifebook Online Quest, it’s the ideal state you would like to reach in every area of your life.
In Lifebook, there are 12 major areas comprising your human experience:
- Health and fitness
- Intellectual
- Emotional
- Character
- Spiritual
- Love relationship
- Parenting
- Social
- Career
- Financial
- Quality of life
- Life Vision
The first 11 comprises its goal statements and the twelfth is a round-up of all. When you craft them, you tune into how you want to feel in each dimension and what it will take for you to achieve them.
5 Reasons Why You Need Goal Statements
In the world of modern distractions, where media, organizations, companies, and people compete for your attention, time, and focus, having clear personal goals are crucial. If you don’t do it yourself, someone else will do it for you. And before you know it, you will be pursuing someone else’s dream.
Most importantly, having clear goals is paramount for your success. In fact, all successful people are goal-oriented, so goal-setting is the master skill of success.
Jon says, “Realization of your vision boils down to your ability to set and accomplish goals it requires.”
Here are five reasons why you need goal statements:
- Give you direction: These statements clearly define where you want to go and what you need to do to get there.
- Clarify your values and virtues: They help you prioritize essential things in your life based on your values and virtues.
- Enhance motivation: Having a clear, written goal keeps you motivated and focused on what you want to accomplish. It also helps you persevere in the face of challenges or setbacks.
- Foster your personal and professional growth: By setting and working towards your goals, you develop new skills, expand your knowledge, and increase your intelligence.
- Track progress: Goal statements allow you to measure your progress. They give you a clear picture of what you do right and what actions or strategies you need to adjust to stay on track.
In essence, goal statements serve as a roadmap to help you achieve your goals across all areas.
How to Write a Goal Statement: 6 Tips From Lifebook Founder
Think of goal-setting as a funnel focus — your life vision is at the very top of it, followed by your goals in other areas of your life. And every goal breaks down into smaller subgoals — what you need to accomplish in a year, a month, a week, distilled to the actions required daily.
Here are some tips for mastering the funnel focus by Jon Butcher:
1. Think deeply about your values and beliefs
Your core values and beliefs about a specific area direct your actions, decisions, and behaviors. In other words, they either expand or limit your vision. When your values and beliefs are empowering, you can dream as big as possible.
2. Create a compelling life vision
Jon explains that goal-setting against a clear vision accelerates your results significantly. “Every goal you set in any category is directed at that target,” he adds. So your compelling life vision gives you a big picture of where you want to go and serves as your North Star.
3. Choose your foundational goals
These are the five to six main goals your life vision depends upon. Once you accomplish them, you will be living your life vision. Jon explains that you can achieve some of them within a year, others will require a few years, but they all significantly impact your life.
4. Identify your overriding goal
An overriding goal is your one single important goal. It’s your single highest leverage point. The accomplishment of this goal will allow 70% of your goals to fall into place, according to Jon. He says, “It’s your most important battle and key focus. So you should know everything about it.”
5. Make them SMART
A SMART goal statement stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound:
- Specific: Your goal should be specific and clear.
- Measurable: A measurable goal helps you track your progress which keeps you focused, holds you accountable, and allows you to enjoy the excitement of getting closer to achieving your goal.
- Achievable: A successful goal is attainable and realistic. It should push you to grow but remain possible.
- Relevant: This makes sure that your goal is one that actually matters and is worthwhile to you.
- Time-bound: This is where the importance of having a deadline comes into play, as it strengthens your focus.
6. Have a goal-tracking system
It can be a habit tracker such as “12 Sacred Choices” developed by Jon and Missy. This technique allows you to track your most important habits each day.
You can also join an accountability group that will help you track your progress and stay focused and motivated.
Goal Statement Examples
When writing your goal statement, remember the SMART model. In other words, it’s not just a description of what you want to achieve in a specific area of your life. It should also include your strategy for achieving it.
Let’s look at some inspiring goal statements examples for each dimension in life.
Financial goal statement
According to Jon, money is a symbol of human productivity and human achievement. So this area is all about your talents and skills and how you can use them to add value to other people’s lives.
Here’s a financial goal statement example:
“I will attain financial freedom five years from now. I will accomplish this by learning how to invest wisely, saving more, and spending less.”
Career goal statement
Your career goal statement includes your vision for your career and your commitment to growing your personal and professional skills. It’s also known as your personal goal statement, often used as part of a job application or your career plan.
Here’s a personal goal statement example:
“My goal is to become a successful entrepreneur and make a meaningful impact in the world. To achieve my goal, I will focus on learning entrepreneurship and leadership skills, expand my networking, master communication, and cultivate a better growth mindset.”
Relationship goal statement example
This statement outlines your vision for relationships with a romantic partner, family members, and friends. It reflects how you will create strong and nurturing connections that last.
Your relationships determine your happiness and overall life satisfaction more than any other area because human beings are wired to be connected with others.
Here’s a relationship goal statement example:
“My relationship goal is to manifest love. I am committed to healing my relationship wounds and working on meeting the needs that my parents haven’t met. I will forgive myself and others to open my heart to new love.”
Character goal statement example
To change your outside reality, you should change who you are inside. So this statement is about character traits you are committed to cultivating.
Here’s a character goal statement example:
“I will cultivate determination to accomplish anything I set my mind to. I am committed to eliminating all unfinished work and responsibilities by the end of this year. I will train myself to finish every task I start and be consistent with my duties and responsibilities.”
Intellectual life goal statement example
Your intellectual growth has everything to do with developing a strong mind. It includes learning new skills, cultivating a better growth mindset, and expanding your knowledge.
Jon believes that intelligence is not about what you know but whether you can apply it to live your life intelligently.
Here’s an intellectual goal statement example:
“I will train myself to read a book a day in a month. To do that, I will learn how to read faster and smarter by training on speed reading.”
Health and fitness goal statement example
Your physical health affects every single aspect of your life. This area holds your overriding goals that make other goals possible. Simply put, you can’t live an extraordinary life without a good state of health.
Here’s a health and fitness goal statement example:
“I will reach my ideal body weight within the next 12 months in a healthy way. I am committed to following a healthy diet regime, exercising at least 3 times a week, and making intermittent fasting a part of my daily routine.”
Emotional life goal statement example
Your emotional life goal statement reflects your aspiration for emotional well-being and your commitment to work towards cultivating inner peace and self-acceptance. Jon explains the willingness to experience your emotions is healing in itself.
Here’s an emotional life goal statement example:
“My emotional life goal is to cultivate inner peace and emotional regulation. I will learn to manage my emotions effectively and practice self-care, doing things that bring me joy and fulfillment.”
Spiritual goal statement example
This goal outlines your vision for spiritual growth and your commitment to self-discovery and self-actualization. Spiritual purpose often holds one’s purpose in life.
Here’s a spiritual goal statement example:
“My goal is to live in alignment with my spiritual essence. I am committed to practicing mindfulness and meditation to align with my intuition and higher guidance. I will remember that my life is about the lives of people I touch.”
The quality of life goal statement
Your quality of life goal statement encompasses three areas:
- The material things you want to have,
- The experiences you want to create, and
- The environments you want to be surrounded by.
In essence, this goal reflects what happiness and fulfillment mean to you. Ideally, every goal statement in different areas leads to improving the quality of your life.
Here’s the quality of life goal statement example:
“I will build a new home in Hawaii in a serene environment with a breathtaking view by 2030. I am committed to spending less, saving more, and learning about new investment opportunities.”
Unlocking Your Potential With Mindvalley
We all have tremendous potential. The trick is to tap into it. And you can tap into it by setting authentic goals and committing to moving forward to make them happen.
Jon believes that your goals bring out the best in you. They are instructions and commands to yourself, moving you in the direction of your values and virtues.
When you write down your goal statements, you create your Lifebook — your ultimate guide to unlocking your fullest potential and living an extraordinary life.
If you want to discover what you want, why you want it, and how you can achieve it, take a free, 90-minute Lifebook Online masterclass with Jon and Missy Butcher. They will guide you through the fundamental process of envisioning your ideal life in multiple areas.
Welcome in.
