More to Life Than a Degree
I will give you a hint: it is not so you can be happy. And it is not so you can claim bragging rights. Obviously, one of your main goals as a student is to become educated and earn your degree. Did you stop to think, however, there are other goals you can set for yourself, and the benefits can be priceless? Attempting to achieve goals is one of the most important activities you can do to evolve and transform.
Failing is Okay
Of course, it is a fantastic feeling to reach your goals. It is phenomenal to be able to tell others you worked toward something and that you accomplished it. However, I want to caution you: do not feel down or inadequate if you did not reach a goal. Do not make it mean you are unworthy or unintelligent. Everybody fails at reaching goals. It is ok to fail, in fact, we need to fail because that is one way we learn.
Achievement: Not as Important as the Pursuit
Please do not misunderstand the ideas of attempting a goal versus achieving a goal. Those are two different scenarios and I would like to emphasize why goal setting is so important. Firstly, it is an activity that allows your brain to wonder and to be creative. It is okay to dream once in a while! Secondly, commitment to goals provides structure, deliberate action and consequences. When you are committed to a goal, and you encounter failures along the way, you are being tested. Do you give up and believe the goal was impossible or do you keep trying until you find what works?
When you are trying to achieve that goal, you will probably be doing things outside of your comfort zone. You will be meeting people along the way who might prove to be incredible resources or amazing lifelong friends. You may be introduced to powerful new tools, or you may venture to a fascinating new place. Your brain may be forced to think outside the norm, and it may be exposed to new thought patterns and new kinds of problems to solve.
In conclusion, setting goals and committing to goals can equate to some life-altering experiences. You can push your brain to new limits, explore foreign ideas, discover new passions and learn how you handle successes as well as failures. You won’t know your own possibilities until you stop being comfortable and test yourself by setting goals. It does not even matter whether you end up achieving them; who you become in the pursuit can allow you to become a higher version of yourself.