Experience is the best teacher – an old and oft-contradicted cliché for some, but always a major difference maker in one’s life. People instill a diverse culture and lifestyle when they react upon things. Thus, people train themselves and each other on how they will adapt to their surroundings. Adapting to surroundings lets a person set own goals, induce morals with a desirable purpose, and rise to the challenges through fervent efforts. Personal motivation directly applies to making changes in life (Taylor Ph. D., 2012). Adapting to surroundings creates an experience, to which a person can reflect on his personal thoughts and actions. Since human diversity is innate in human perception, changing directions are imminent along the way. Life and experience can teach various ways in mapping out a well-planned life, but it always starts with personal changes.
What are some good practices in guiding one through life adjustments and direction changes? One good practice is to make sound decisions regarding career, passion, hobby, or anything associated to personal life. Decision-making processes have the capability to create an immediate and long-lasting impact on the society. If decision-making can influence large spheres such as political affairs and communities, then personal decisions could yield greater influence on the human side of things. Making personal decisions requires rational and procedural thinking, which can allude to alternative actions, expectations/consequences, preferences, and decision ruling (March and Heath, 1994). March and Heath (1994) also alluded that a rational framework is endemic to aspects of human behavior such as personal action and thought process, and choice processes are the fundamentals political theories, statistical models, and social sciences to name a few. A simple method of asking guide questions involve cognitive processing, which also involves coming up with a sound and affirmative judgment. Making decisions always lead to consequent situations from an action a person willfully takes.
Another way for a person can experience an ultimate change in life directions is by setting goals. Setting personal-oriented goals could be both for long-term or short-term basis, and is a consequent action when making decisions. Setting goals creates a worthwhile challenge for a person in order to achieve the results desired. When one sets difficult or manageable goals, a person can be more adept and can adjust to the challenges. Goal setting encourages a person to do better, and bring varying outcomes that affect performances. Goal setting becomes an effective theory when one achieves results from discovering a new element from different sources, through participation or self-set priorities (Locke and Latham, 2006). Regardless of the goal-setting outcome, it gives a person an opportunity to find the wrongs and make things right next time. It also encourages continued perseverance and a sense of responsibility among oneself, and from there one can see a clearer direction of events taking place.
A person wants to achieve something great in life, so a person must at least know how to make sound decisions and goals in life. Goal setting is the first step towards success and puts one’s life into real action (Chua, 2009). Decision-making and goal-setting are two steps that can carve a road towards a better direction in life. Without these two processes mentioned, it will be difficult for any person to achieve and to undertake his sole purpose of existence in life. Having a life-oriented system and a sound philosophical belief set in place will help a person tread his way as he lives his life – all while discovering new challenges and experiences at the same time. There are different ways (most are proven, but others rely on practical approach) to achieve greater results in life, but everything relies on the foundation building ways known as goal setting and decision-making. Goal setting and decision-making processes have a major influence on a person’s experience and his/her understanding of living a life full of challenges.
References
Chua, C. (2009, January 1). 6 Important Reasons Why You Should Set Goals. Retrieved October 29, 2014, from http://personalexcellence.co/blog/6-important-reasons-why-you-should- set-goals/
Locke, E., & Latham, G. (2006). New Directions in Goal-Setting Theory. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(5), 265-268.
March, J., & Heath, C. (1994). A Primer on Decision Making: How Decisions Happen. New York: Free Press.
Taylor, Ph. D., J. (2012, January 2). Personal Growth: Motivation: The Drive to Change. Retrieved October 29, 2014, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power- prime/201201/personal-growth-motivation-the-drive-change
