How Can Goals Help You Live Your Best Life?

As I was preparing for this week’s blog, I came across this inspiring quote by Diane Ackerman, author of the New York Times bestseller, The Zookeeper's Wife.

“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just its length. I want to have lived the width of it as well.”

~ Diane Ackerman – Author, Poet, Naturalist.

The depth of her message touched my senses in a way that prompted me to change course from my established adventure blog post to explore the topic of setting goals.

I believe the author is saying that life should be lived to its fullest, and as the architect of our lives, we choose what fulfills us and provides joy till the end of our days. It is conceivable that one of the ways we can achieve the life we aspire to is by setting and completing goals. People set goals at all stages of life and recognize that those we set at 20 years old will be different from those once we retire, yet both are essential. One benefit of setting goals is that each is uniquely designed, making our world and friendships much more gratifying and exciting.

Life coaches and motivational speakers tell us that setting goals provide direction; they also give us control of our future and a sense of personal satisfaction. I agree with each of these points, although for me, setting and accomplishing goals gives me a sense of purpose in life. I will share some of my past and present goals in this post, although I am more interested in hearing from you, the reader, by telling us how goals have affected your life. So, if you are open to participating, please share your experiences below in the comment section.

During the DRITRI Challenge!

My latest goal was to compete an eight-week Transformational Challenge and DRITRI (2000-meter row, 300 reps on the weight floor, and finishing with a 5K) at Orangetheory Fitness near my home. My plan for signing up for this challenge was to improve my overall fitness and possibly drop a few pounds, but I quickly found it was much more.

After completing the challenge seen in the pictures below, I received both physical and psychological benefits, which made me want to dive deeper into “why” goal setting has played such an important role my entire life.

Admittedly, I went down the rabbit hole, contemplating how goal setting can influence living life to its fullest. However, in doing so, I recognized a pattern in myself. I have used adventure and physical exercise to clear my thoughts and provide the energy needed to achieve educational, career, and personal goals throughout my life. As an added benefit, I learned to respect the importance of teammates, colleagues, and friends who helped push me over the finish line. Can any of you identify with this or something different?

For example, in 2016, I was part of a team that assisted in coordinating and constructing a large multispecialty medical facility in Colorado, which was a daunting challenge.

Colorado West Medical Office Building

At the same time, my workout buddies from the gym talked me into participating in the

Tough Mudder, held at Snowmass in the Rocky Mountains. Our team trained together, were by each other’s side throughout the challenging course, and met our goal which was to finish together.

Tough Mudder Finish Line ~ Deanna, Amy, Lee Ann, and Erin and John our trainer.

I firmly believe that completing the Tough Mudder gave me the confidence and belief in myself that I was up to the challenge of successfully seeing the building to completion, which happened.

OTF trainers who motivate each person to be their best!

Now, coming back to my recent goal. Not only did I improve my fitness level and drop a few unwanted pounds as I had hoped, but I also set new fitness goals, was in “awe” at the knowledge and dedication of the Orangetheory trainers, made new friends, and became inspired by the support of my fellow gym members.

I started this blog as a personal goal to make a difference in my life and the lives of my readers. I encourage you to stay active, inspire others to keep moving, be kind to one another, and respect the miracle of nature that touches us all. Let’s all keep moving!

I would love to hear from you, so please leave your comments below.