One of my favorite mindfulness teachers, George Mumford, has often said, if you don’t know who you are, you can wind up being anyone, and if you don’t know where you’re going, you can wind up going anywhere.

One of the great things about playing sports is that there’s always a specific goal. However, that’s not always so clear in other areas of your life. I think part of the challenge is that to set successful life goals, you have to know yourself so you can know where it is you want to go.

Goals can feel elusive and rigid because while we know we’re working towards something we want; we also know there’s a lot of hard work that goes into the journey. However, when you know yourself and you’re clear on your vision, it’s a lot easier to stay the course when things get tough.

This is where passion, vulnerability, faith, and action intersect.

• You need to have a passion for what you’re doing, which requires knowing “your why.”
• You need the vulnerability to get comfortable being uncomfortable.
• You need the faith to know that you’re right where you’re supposed to be, and that hard work pays off.
• And, you need the action to keep your head down and work.

So, where do you start? If you feel completely lost, I encourage you to dream big and work your way backward. Here are some steps you can start with:

Get clear on who you are and what you want:

• What are the things that make you, you? Write a list of words that describe you. What are your strengths? Also, make a list of the things people compliment you on. Be sure to think about things outside of sports, too.
• What are some experiences you’ve had that you could share with others to help them go through something similar?
• What are the things you’re drawn to? What’s something you’ve always wanted to learn? What are the goals that you’ve always dreamt about but haven’t worked towards yet?

Map out your life goals with these steps:

• Journal about a day in your dream life. If there were no limitations, what would you be doing? How would you act? Where would you be? Who would you be with? Think BIG! What is it that you want the most? You may even want to envision a few different dream days and see which one you’re most drawn to.
• To bring the vision to life, you have to start somewhere. What are some goals you’d like to achieve this year?
• Allow for flexibility. Write a reminder that goals don’t always happen exactly when you planned or the way you planned. However, you always end up where you’re meant to be. Keep going.
• Create your “why” statement. This is the emotional reason why you want what you want. How will achieving this goal make you feel, and why will it make you feel that way? Spend some time on this. It has to be a statement that is so big that when you feel like quitting, you think about the statement, and you find a way to keep going.
• Reframe any negative thought habits that aren’t aligned with who you have to be to achieve your goal.
• In thinking about those goals, what steps do you have to take to get there? Break those into baby steps with what you need to do each day, week, and month.

Small steps, when done consistently, add up to big results.

Keys to the Game:

• It’s never too late to create a goal or start fresh. You can start right now if you want to. You don’t have to wait for a Monday or any other particular date to begin working towards a goal. If you get off track, you can start over any moment you choose.
• Know the difference between dreams and goals. Dreams are the big picture of where you see your future self. A goal is something more specific that will help you reach your dream.
• Setting goals are as much about your mindset as they are about the objective. Goals should be measurable, but they should also inspire you. You’ve likely heard of the SMART goal, but have you heard of the PIE goal? Purposeful. Impactful. Enjoyable.
• Learn to rest but not quit. If you need to take a break and rest, do it. Just get back on track after you’ve recharged.