12 Ways to Fail in Goal Setting
Is there an ultimate thing that would make you the happiest person in the world?
I think we all have at least one thing we badly want to get.
It could be popularity, power, friends, love,money, lasting marriage, children, or health.
But unfortunately, not all of us successfully obtain even just that one thing though we may live up to 85 years.
Why?
Well, it is simply because most people do not set goals.
However, even if we do, it does not guarantee achievement and success. You have to do things the right way.
You need to pay the price. Anything great necessitates hard work.
But in this article, we will discuss the not-so ideal things that make you fail and not reach your goals.
- Setting goals that are too big.
Goals bigger than you may just leave you exhausted but not victorious. Goals that are too big are those beyond your skills, knowledge, and capabilities, or even beyond your control and influence. You need to assess yourself, the things you know, the things you are good at and base your goals from them. Measure your capabilities. Do not set goals that seem impossible to achieve. - Setting goals that are too small.
Setting goals that are too small does not challenge you enough which consequently makes you think those goals are not worth pursuing. Make sure your goals are not too easy otherwise you will not feel a sense of fulfillment and not be proud of reaching them. - Setting goals that are vague.
Describe your goals. Be specific. Do not settle with goals that are too general. Detailed goals make you half-way there since they create a map for your subconscious mind; and you just need follow that map. This also helps you achieve your goals significantly easier and faster. - Not having a good action plan.
Great things come from equally great planning. A mansion will not come out as grand and as breathtaking as it is unless there’s a good plan behind its construction. Same goes with the great and amazing things you want to obtain in your life. Plan, and plan well. Make sure your plan is feasible, doable, and effective. Also, it pays to think and plot an alternative plan or a plan B, in case your initial plan does not work. - Not taking good and enough actions.
Even if you have a good plan, if you do not take action, do not expect to get what you want. Step up and act. Perform daily activities that will bring you a step closer to the realization of your goals. And when it’s daily, it means daily. Taking daily actions is not enough, though. You must make sure your actions are right, appropriate, effective, and enough to get you there. - Not taking time to develop and gain new skills.
Skills are necessary to achieve your goals. List down the skills you need to accomplish a certain goal, identify the skills you are confident about and spot those that need improvement. Think of ways you can enhance those that require honing. Also, think of other skills you need but presently do not have and find ways to gain those skills. - Not identifying the consequences of not reaching your goals.
Sometimes, the bad things that may happen when we fail to do something can motivate us. We do not want our family to starve, which is why we work hard to earn money. We do not want to fail in our exams, get scolded, and not graduate, so we study hard. We do not want to acquire cancer and die early, which is why we strive to live a healthy life.
Identify the not-so good consequences if you fail in achieving your goals. List as many as you can. The longer your list, the more motivated you will be. Remember to be specific as possible. - Not identifying the rewards you can get from reaching your goals.
It also pays to identify and list all the good things you can have the moment you reach your goals. This list is also a good source of inspiration and motivation. Write down as many as you can. - Refusing help from other people.
I cannot think of a single person who has successfully reached his goals and done it all by himself. You need other people’s help, however small it is and in whatever form.
Without the love, support, inspiration, motivation, encouragement, guidance, or assistance from the people around you, especially your family and friends, you may never accomplish your goals. Learn to seek and accept help, especially when things get rough. - Not having the ability to brush off discouragement and criticisms.
A single discouraging statement or an ugly and harsh criticism is capable of tearing your entire heart and determination down. When this happens, you would not be able to have the emotional strength to move on. You can “die” emotionally if you succumb.
Learn how to be emotionally strong because people who tend to criticize and discourage can be anywhere. You cannot completely avoid them. Learn to see criticism as constructive. Learn to convert discouraging words to stepping stones, or learn how to be “deaf” when you hear words that do not uplift your spirit. - Not identifying all possible obstacles.
Knowing the road you are taking allows you to avoid an ugly and fatal crash because you know where the possible obstacles are. If you are not prepared the moment you encounter a roadblock, you can get stuck. You need to pin point and understand all possible challenges that may arise.
This will prepare you and either help you avoid the problem or give you time to think of how to solve the problem. It can also give you time to gain or improve skills and gain more knowledge needed to get rid of the obstacles you will meet on the way. - Not willing to give up something in order to achieve your goals.
Sacrifice and compromise are important ingredients for success. Be willing to give up something, especially if it is something “bad.” It can get tougher because sometimes you will be required to give up something “good” for something “better.”
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