How Goal Setting Can Improve Your Emotional and Mental Health

There are more benefits to goal setting than what meets the eye. Not only do they keep us motivated and help us create the life we want, but they also improve emotional and mental health when used effectively. 

By setting SMART goals , you invest in your present and your future. Keep reading to learn more about how goal setting can improve more than just your productivity. 

Setting and Achieving Goals Boosts Self-Confidence

Think about a time when you accomplished something that mattered to you. How did you feel? Happy? Relieved? Excited? Confident? When set correctly , goals can boost self-confidence and leave you feeling more capable than ever. 

The key to setting goals that will help your self-confidence rather than hurt it is to focus on completing them, not perfecting them. While goals that are too difficult to achieve can leave us feeling disheartened and unmotivated, the opposite is true of goals that are both challenging and obtainable. So, keep your goals within your own reality and break them into smaller, more manageable tasks. This will keep you working hard on them and growing your confidence. 

Setting Mental Health Goals Can Ensure You Get Help When You Need It

Not all of your goals need to be centered around professional development. In fact, some of the most beneficial goals are centered around mental and emotional health . Breaking up any mental health issues you may be facing into accomplishable goals is a great way to prioritize your entire well-being. 

While setting a New Year’s resolution like “overcome my anxiety” may be too intimidating and difficult to accomplish, writing something along the lines of “go to my first therapy session” is much easier to think about doing and will likely benefit you more in the long run. Working on your health is a lengthy process, so make it easier for yourself by prioritizing the actions you think will help you most.

Having Goals Improves Your Relationships

It has also been proven that setting goals actually improves your relationships. Those who regularly create goals can form healthier, higher-quality relationships. Because you grow more confident with the more goals you achieve, this confidence will bleed into other areas of your life, including your relationships. 

You can even set relationship goals . According to psychologists, couples who set goals together typically do better than couples who don’t. This is due to the fact that people are usually happier and perform better when they are working for something. Feeling like you and your partner always have each other’s backs is sure to do wonders for your relationship. And, when our relationships flourish, so do we.

Overall, setting goals can do more than just motivate you. It can boost your self-confidence, improve your relationships, and even help you ask for help when you need it. By creating SMART goals, you prioritize your well-being and take the first step toward improving your emotional and mental health.