Setting goals is one of the best ways to improve your quality of life, increase your happiness, and make your life more fulfilling.
Dominican University conducted a study and found that students who had written their goals were more likely to achieve higher income levels than those who didn’t. Setting intermediate goals can help you set effective goals.
There are many reasons to be serious about goal setting. But before we get into this article’s heart, let us define what “intermediate goals” means.
What Is An Intermediate Goal?
There are many types of goals. What would an “intermediate” goal look like?
A goal that you want to achieve in the next three to five years is an intermediate goal. While we could go for a year here or there, a good guideline is between three to five years.
A goal called an intermediate goal is one that bridges the gap between your current and future goals and your long-term goals. If you have a goal to retire with $2 million in your retirement funds, this would be a long-term goal. An intermediate goal to bridge that gap is to save X dollars over the next three years.
Long-term goals can be difficult to achieve because they often look far into the future. This means that rewards for reaching those goals may not be exciting today. An intermediate goal can bridge this gap by bringing a reward nearer to you.
Our brains are wired to desire instant gratification. This is why it is so difficult to lose weight.
Apart from the science behind how fat is stored and retained, losing weight refers to the principle of eating less and moving more. Our bodies crave food right away when we feel hungry. We crave instant gratification. We eat rice even though we know it won’t help us lose weight. Our brain values instant gratification more than our long-term goals.
Stepping Stones
Intermediate goals should be viewed as stepping stones to something greater. Motivation is a problem that makes it difficult for people to set and achieve goals. It can be slowed down over time and cause them to lose motivation. Too far out in the future goals are often forgotten and only reappear when we look at our
New Year’s Resolutions
It all comes down to your motivation to achieve the goal. You must have strong reasons to motivate you towards your goal. Your motivations must be strong enough to push you up the hill. If your reasons are strong enough, however, they will pull you toward achieving the goal.
You will fail if your goal is to be a celebrity and own a yacht. Your motivations for owning a yacht are likely to be stronger than your desire to impress your old school friends.
Setting intermediate goals is a great way to get started. These goals act as magnets that pull you toward your long-term goal.
Milestones and Pathways
Imagine that you just graduated from college and have started your first job. You could aim to be a senior executive in the company as your long-term goal. This could take between ten and twenty years. That’s a long time to wait for a twentysomething.
You can break down the goal into smaller goals to make it more manageable. You might find that most of the top executives in your company have MBAs. One goal is to complete your MBA. You could also aim to be promoted within five years to a managerial position. You can make your goals a reality by identifying what you want in the next three to 5 years.
Instead of setting a long-term goal that is too big and unclear, you can create a clear pathway towards your long-term goals. After you have achieved your intermediate goal you can take a step back, reflect, and start looking for the next step towards your longer-term goal.
This method works for fitness goals as well. Let’s say, for example, that you want to complete the Boston Marathon in five year. The Boston Marathon has very difficult qualifying times.
It is necessary to be able show that you have previously run a marathon under a certain time for your age and gender.
To be eligible for the 2021 race, a male between 45 and 49 years old must have completed a marathon in less than three hours and five minutes. Females between 45-49 years old would have to run under three hours and fifty minutes. This is a difficult feat.
You should start small if you’ve never ran a marathon. Perhaps you can start by running a 5k followed by a 10k, and then gradually increase the distance until your first marathon. You will have enough information to adjust your training so you can run the Boston marathon in the qualifying time.
These short-term goals will not only help you get closer to your ultimate goal but also provide you with the motivation to continue working until you reach your long-term plan. These short-term goals will help you get closer to your long-term goal.
How To Set Intermediate Goals
To reap the full benefits of intermediate goals, it is necessary to first establish a long-term objective. This goal must be large enough to excite and motivate you.
Let me give you an example: My wife and I have a long-term dream to build our home. It is a house that we built ourselves. We have calculated how much it will cost, which is quite a bit. So we have broken down the steps into smaller goals.
The first step is to save money. This will allow you to pay 50% of the total cost. Next, we need to locate and buy land that can be used for building the house. Next, we must begin building the house.
There are three intermediate goals to help you reach your longer-term goal. Buy land, save money, and build your house.
This long-term goal is in my notes section. I also have images of the house that we are planning to build. Then, it is broken down into three intermediate goals. We are now well into the intermediate goal of saving money.
The ultimate destination is your long-term goal. This gives you direction and a reason to get up each morning. Intermediate goals will help you get there.
Final Thoughts
Everybody has long-term goals. Sometimes, however, it is important to take a step back to set intermediate goals that will help you reach your long-term goals. These are some key points to help you set intermediate goals.
- Set a long-term goal. Tell the world why you want it.
- Your long-term goal can be broken down into sections that span three to five years.
- Start by deciding what you will need to do in order to reach your first intermediate goal.
- Your intermediate goals should be reviewed at least once a week.