The Key is Positive Benchmarks

I've been a bit of a slump recently at work. In sales you have ups and downs a lot like life. Some months are great and some months aren't. Our fiscal year at Paychex runs June - May and so we have a new set of goals and expectations this month from corporate. I came really close to hitting a pretty high sales goal that I set for myself last year but fell just a little short. I think a big part of my current slump is due to the amount of energy and focus I expended trying to hit my end of year goals. I'm tired!

I've learned a lot about goal setting over the past year. There is a big difference between positive and negative goals.  A big part of true happiness is the sense of achievement. That's why some of the happiest people out there are avid goal setters. Religion is all about setting and working towards goals. Think about how much happiness and joy people draw from practicing religion. For the longest time I was setting very BAD goals. The goals I was working towards used negative benchmarks. For the longest time I've set "Competitive Goals" which meant I was drawing my sense of achievement  off of beating other people. Accomplishing negative goals brings the same sense of accomplishment but the sentiment is fleeting. I have found a much deeper and long-lasting sense of happiness from working towards positive goals.

HOW TO SET POSITIVE GOALS:
A positive goal is one you set for yourself. You will never be truly happy if the goals and objectives you work towards are set for you by others. The only benchmark that you should gage your progress on is your own self improvement. Self improvement brings a sense of long-lasting accomplishment and happiness that isn't found by benchmarking yourself against the performance of others. Helping others achieve their own goals brings far more happiness than being better than other people. Focus all of your energy and improving yourself and lifting others.

My life completely changed once I stopped worrying about goals others had set for me and the need to be better than others. I have much less stress in my life and know each day what I'm working towards. Goals you set yourself that use self improvement as benchmarks produce a sense of accomplishment and happiness. Goals that others set for you and use out performing others as benchmarks produce stress and fleeting satisfaction.