To successfully reduce stress, we must be flexible in adjusting our goal. In setting goals, flexibility is a very important point to keep in mind. Goals, once set, should not be looked on as musts. With time, circumstances change and we change. What may have been a good goal when originally formulated may not be such a good idea at a later time. Therefore, it is necessary to be flexible and willing to change goals from time to time. This can be done as we go along, day by day, otherwise our mind will be stressed up in a situation where by we must achieve the present goal.
Some people use the leisure of vacation time to take a trip and evaluate goals when they have more time to really think them through. Sometimes we reach an important point along the way towards a goal that can serve as an occasion to reassess the goal. We may choose to continue on, to change the goal slightly or even to abandon it in favor of some other goal which now seems better. There is only so much time in life, and we can’t do everything we might like to.
Goal setting and periodic goal revision is crucial when it comes to stress management. A goal previously set may be not suitable to us due to the change in circumstances, our own life experience, our expectation and our priorities in life. Hence, it is important to understand that goals should be rigid. Goals should be flexible and we should accept it if we find that adjustments should be made. Otherwise, we will be caught in the situation and stress will build up over a goal which is no longer applicable to us.