Beware of These Mistakes When Setting Goals
Goals are very powerful. Most importantly, they provide us with a target. What’s the likelihood of accidentally accomplishing something that makes your life much better? Great accomplishments require intention. Having intention keeps your mind sharp and searching for solutions.
Of all the things we learn in school, most of us were never taught how to set an effective goal. When we were young, we were told we could become anything we wanted, but then pushed into set directions, with only 3 real options: go to college, join the military, or get a job. But God created us for so much more than this. And living in such a time and place as this – options really are limitless if you prepare and set the right goal… Dreams are just goals with the right plan & budget.
For best results, avoid these 9 goal-setting mistakes:
Setting too many goals. Instead of having a multitude of goals, try setting one highly meaningful goal. When you have a history of success, increase the number of goals you’re simultaneously pursuing.
Too many goals can be overwhelming and spread your resources too thin.
Be intentionally, I personally have many goals I am pursuing but they are all orchestrated to work together for the bigger focus.
Choosing goals that aren’t highly meaningful to you. If you are going to limit yourself to a single goal, it’s especially important to choose one that’s highly desirable to you and will have a great impact on your life.
The more you want it, the more likely you are to aggressively pursue it.
If it does not intend to grow you, then it is not big enough…
Expecting things to go smoothly. A highly desirable and meaningful goal is unlikely to be reached quickly and easily. Expect a few bumps along the way, in fact welcome them – that way they won’t take you by surprise.
Keep a positive attitude and simply assess the situation when things don’t go the way you had hoped. Change your approach and try again.
Using this process to move closer and closer to your goal, regardless of the circumstances, how could you not be successful?
Having a growth mindset will help you to see where you lacked and how to change directions where necessary to try again.
Not recognizing signs from your subconscious. If you have set a desirable goal, it’s only natural that you’d pursue it aggressively and passionately. If you find yourself procrastinating, losing your enthusiasm, or failing to take action for any reason, your subconscious is trying to tell you that something is amiss.
Feed your ambition. When you are feeling as though you are lacking, feeding your mind with inspirational/motivational podcasts, music, and how to videos to get you realigned. It is powerful how your surroundings can play a huge part in moving forward.
Setting an unreasonable timeline. Things always seem to take longer than we expected. Try to be realistic and set a deadline that’s reasonable and takes into account a few challenges along the way.
By not giving yourself enough time, you’re risking the possibility that you’ll feel discouraged when you don’t complete your goal on time.
Sometimes the timeline is doable, but the ambition or inspiration isn’t aligned. Continue forward but have grace for yourself; I often remind myself that God’s timing is perfect and that I am just to do my part & let Him do His.
Failing to measure your progress. Imagine having a weight loss or financial goal but never weighing yourself or measuring your income. You’d never know where you stood relative to your goal. Review your progress on a regular basis.
Charts, Vision Boards, and checklists… These indeed will become an asset as they motivate you to celebrate the little moments of success, which empower you to continue to move forward.
Setting goals that aren’t realistic. There are many goals that appear unrealistic, yet are realistic with an adequate deadline. However, there are also goals that are highly unlikely to be reached. For example, if you’re 55 years old and 5’ 5”, you’re not going to play in the NBA. But you are never too old to become a doctor…
You can accomplish great things, but some things simply aren’t an option, regardless of the timeline. Seek wisdom in telling the difference.
The focus is to become your authentic self, to use your God given talents and gifts for a greater purpose; to continue to grow & not measure yourself by someone else’s expectations or successes.
Setting goals that take too long. It’s much easier to stay focused on goals that are limited to around 12 weeks. It is important to have that big goal, but every goal is broken down into a plan of smaller goals.
If you have a goal that will take longer than three months, determine where you would expect to be in three months and make that your goal. Big goals are likely to require several smaller goals that ultimately lead to its completion. For example, I am pursuing my graduate degree, but each class is the current focus on that goal…
Not having a clear endpoint. An effective goal is measurable and has a clear endpoint. For example, “making more money” isn’t an effective goal. A penny is more money. Would you be satisfied with that? Be as concise as possible. Ensure you can measure your goal.
A goal is a gateway to a happier life. But setting effective goals takes practice, and it’s important to avoid making these common goal-setting mistakes. Avoid these mistakes and you greatly increase the odds of realizing success! Enjoy each success and never lose sight of “your why”, cherish the little moments & live intentionally focused.
