It’s only a few weeks till the New Year, and for those of you that use that time for goal setting, I hope this helps you to achieve them.
We all know about the importance of goal setting(people keep telling us!). We all know about setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time bound). So how is it that so many of us don’t attain goals that are meant to be important to us? What goes wrong in the process that we start with such enthusiasm?
Here’s a few traps that I am aware of;
1. The goal is not something that is of sufficient value to warrant the effort it takes to achieve it. This is very common and if you want a litmus test for these goals, they generally start with the word “should”. Someone else thinks this is a good idea for you. It could be your partner, colleague or just society generally. It may indeed be a really good idea, but if you aren’t invested in it for yourself and what you stand to gain by achieving this goal, then I’m going to suggest that you are setting yourself up for failure.
2. No consideration is given to the environment that you are in. If you have a goal that you are truly motivated by, you will doubtless need to make considerable changes to achieve it, otherwise you would have achieved it already! Do you understand what achieving that goal, making the changes, investing the time, requiring the focus means to the rest of your life (your environment)? How will it be impacted? Will things change? Is that okay?
3. People rush to do things. I’d like to advise you to slow down and try to dial that goal into your DNA. What would it feel like to achieve that outcome? What would it look like? What would you be doing differently? How would your life be better? What would you be hearing/thinking? Use everything at your disposal, all your of senses to understand what achieving your goal would mean and to bring it to life.
4. Lack of examination. Sometimes/often we fail to examine our own actions and beliefs. We march forth expecting to achieve something that has been eluding us and we go about it in pretty much the same way that we’ve tried in the past. To overcome barriers to success we need to know what those barriers are. Maybe you believe something, about yourself, others or the goal itself that acts as a barrier. Maybe we’re reluctant to ask for help, learn new skills, or to put it out there that we don’t know everything!
Take some time when goal setting. Understand the consequences of success. Know that a failed attempt is just that…..and to paraphrase Robert H Schuller, “if you haven’t succeeded, it might just be that you haven’t succeeded YET”
Lyncia Podmore, Coach at YOU Coaching