In a recent podcast by Dan Miller of 48 Days.com, he discusses the benefit of goals. He talks about how geese just naturally fly south in the winter because that is what they are “programmed” to do. However, as humans, we have a choice. We can decide the direction we want to follow. We can choose to make changes that will alter the course of our lives. We can set our sails in the direction we want to go.

Dan shares how he and his wife recently went sailing for the first time. He learned that the sails can be set so that the wind helps the boat go in the desired direction. The boat is not at the will of the wind. Similarly, our lives are not at the will of our circumstances. We can choose where we want to go and then make it happen. We don’t have to get to the end of life and regret what we have not done or accomplished. Having goals helps us make decisions that will ensure we continue to work toward our goals. Importantly, we must set the goals before we can pursue them.