I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard someone say “Why am I here today?” But worse, I can’t count the number of times I’ve said it myself.

With the end of the year on the horizon, we all have our sights on summer. However, as a result, we lose focus on work and responsibilities. But more importantly, we lose sight of our goals.

Without our goals, we have absolutely nothing to work towards. We begin every day aimlessly, doing things we don’t want to do and feeling trapped by events out of our control. All that pent-up emotion rears its ugly head when we’re pushed over the edge of tolerance, and I see that negativity every day.

At this time of the year, we complain when we’re given a low-key class period to catch up on work, but we throw a fit if it’s anything otherwise. Why? It’s not what we want, and we refuse to accept that it’s worth our time.

But if no single class is worth focusing our energies on, what is? Setting goals helps us figure that out.

Setting personal goals, short term or long term, gives direction to our lives. It allows us to dictate what we want to achieve independent of what we’re supposed to do, and it helps us identify the stepping stones to accomplishing them. If a student knows that he wants to learn a language, play an instrument, or run a marathon, he uses his time to work towards achieving it step by step.

Clear goals funnel our time, focus, and effort into one desired output, and they motivate us to reach a higher potential. Rather than spending more time doing conventional tasks, one devotes their energies to making progress.

These constant big-picture reminders not only encourage us step out of our comfort zones to achieve something more fulfilling, but they also affect our perception of our daily lives as well.

When I have a goal, the tedious tasks become much more bearable. I know I’m working towards something bigger, and, some way or another, the task at hand will help. I feel less inclined to blame someone for “making” me do something I don’t necessarily want to do because I know that I will accomplish my goal in the long run.

Even if my daily tasks are not related, I still feel the pleasure and success of hitting certain goal-oriented milestones. Instead of feeling aimless and trapped by monotonous tasks, I get a positive self-esteem boost every time I make progress.

“Stay focused,” we’re often told as the year ends. Stay focused on school, work, exams, etc. We are fed our short-term goals by everyone around us. Figure out what your goals are and pursue them for your own personal happiness. It’ll completely change your perspective.