5 Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself When Setting Goals

New Year's resolution - a list of goals we commit to reaching in the upcoming year. "This year, I am gonna lose weight and start working out. Definitely!" Sounds familiar? The year goes by, and there we are - the next year's resolution list, and it looks pretty much the same. Right?

How much time do you actually spend on setting your goals? Do you only make a list in your head and say it out loud? Or do you take time to plan your goals, write them down, and think about how to reach them?

There's a big difference between just thinking about your goals and taking time to plan them well. If you're only making a list and plans in your head, it's not enough. It's less likely that you will reach all of the goals.

That is why you need these 5 powerful questions to ask yourself when setting goals. Then, you'll see how they will boost your motivation and help you achieve them.

Take some time for yourself and get a piece of paper and a pen. Close your eyes, and breathe a couple of times deeply. Then visualize you've already reached your goal; you already have it. Now ask yourself these questions one by one and write down the answers:

1. What do I see there?

Visualize the place where you're at the moment when you reach your goal. Describe everything you see in as many details as possible. It'll make the visualization even more powerful.

2. What do I hear there?

Pay attention to what you hear. Are there any sounds? Are you talking? Is someone else talking? Is it quiet?

3. How do I feel now that I've reached my goal?

Once you imagine that you've reached your goal, you'll feel positive sensations in your body. These positive feelings will awaken your inspiration and empower your motivation. You'll get the positive energy to work on your goal. Describe what you feel at the moment of reaching it. What kinds of emotions do that evoke in you?

4. Why is this goal so important to me?

This question will bring out all the reasons you should work hard and reach your goal. You'll remind yourself about what is truly important to you and all the meaningful things you'll get out of it. This will make your goal and motivation even stronger.

5. What does this goal bring to me personally?

Think about what you want to see as an outcome by reaching the goal - all the advantages and things you'll have once you achieve it.

How can these questions help me?

Our brain doesn't know the difference between reality and fiction. So while you imagine how you've already reached your goal, you start seeing, hearing, and feeling things just like they already happened. Your brain doesn't know the difference. That's why visualization is so powerful. Once you dive into this, you'll be there, at the finishing point of your goal for a moment, and you'll feel it.

Answering these questions will make your goal clearer to you, empower your motivation and prepare you to start working on it. Once you put all of these things on paper, it'll look more like a plan and something you can commit to.

Never stop chasing your dreams and reaching your goals!