We often set goals without exploring why they are our goals in the first place. “My goal is to buy a huge house” is a common one, though one can desire this huge house because of some other, deeper desire, having nothing to do with the house itself. You may want a huge house because it’s a clear sign to an insecure younger self that they’ve become successful, and thereby they matter to people that paid them no attention. “I want to run a marathon” may be a goal that results from only feeling like your true self when you strain what you believe you’re capable of. A fear of sitting still. A fear of death.
To distill the true nature of goal setting, ask yourself why. Why is this my goal? When you answer that question, ask why again, and finally a third time. Get as deep as you can. Understand the reasoning behind the goal, and understand yourself much more in the process.