Setting the right goals can be easier said than done. While we all want more out of life, not nearly enough of us are willing to do the preliminary work to make it happen. Pinpointing the right objective can be the key to success. Setting the right goals will lead you on your journey to success.

I was recently a part of a team-building session where we discussed vision and values. During the session, we took some time to uncover both what we wanted for ourselves in the next one, five, and ten years (our vision), and why we wanted what we wanted (our values). At the end of the 90-minute session, I walked away feeling motivated and empowered to dig deeper into those goals. That’s when I came across John Doerr’s 2018 TED Talk on YouTube.

“First, you must answer the questions, ‘Why?’ Because truly transformational teams combine their ambitions to their passion and to their purpose, and they develop a clear and compelling sense of why.” – John Doerr, 2018 TED Talk

We’ve all heard about the importance of ‘Why’. Like Simon Sinek’s 2010 TED Talk, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” That simple, yet impactful quote allowed millions of entrepreneurs and business leaders to rethink their strategy to success.

Like in business, the ‘Why’ is essential when creating goals. Understanding your values can help you get there. Why you do what you do is at the foundation of setting the right goals that’ll lead you to success. Once you’re clear on your values, take the time to write down your objectives. This is what you want to accomplish.

For as long as I can remember, the only goal-setting system I heard about were SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely) goals. In his TED Talk, Doerr talks about OKRs (objectives and key results). To put it simply, the objective is the direction where you want to go, while the key results help you decide if you go there or not.

At the end of the day, having a clear objective and key results can help you navigate the journey to success. Those goals will keep you aiming for the things you care about while being able to track your progress, improvements and failures.

If you’re looking to create positive change in your life, it’s time to start setting goals. If you don’t know where to start, I highly recommend watching Doerr’s TED Talk, then, try a spreadsheet like this one to get the wheels turning. The only thing separating you from success is the right goal. Go set it.