Every new year, many people think about setting goals. People set relationship goals, career goals, financial goals, fitness goals, weight loss goals, and educational goals. We can create goals for anything — but like the fireworks on New Year’s night, our passion for those goals can quickly fizzle out.
There’s nothing wrong with having goals. Goals are great! Creating your own set of goals is needed to give yourself direction and purpose. However, it’s not enough to just set goals. We need to work out the steps to reach those goals as well.
Often there are three major reasons why having a goal isn’t enough:
1 You didn’t consider the steps to get there.
As mentioned above, setting a goal is a good starting point. What is just as important are the steps to reach your goal. The best thing you can do to reach your goals is to break them down into the smallest steps possible. This allows you to tackle each step, one at a time, without getting overwhelmed.
Successful people have said that life change starts with one step. One step will lead to another and another. They’re all small steps that add up. In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear says that “Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them…”
2 You didn’t plan for setbacks.
No doubt that as you go after your goals, there will be something that comes up that will distract you from working toward your goals. However, you can prepare for this!
Think about what are the most likely obstacles and come up with some ways to get around them so that you’re ready to overcome the challenges when they happen. Even being mentally prepared to face setbacks will help you overcome them.
Some challenges will be small and may cause you to take a break for a week or two. When something interrupts your pattern, it’s important to work to get back to your daily habits as soon as possible. The longer you stay away from working toward your goal, the harder it will be to start again.
Other things may be major events that will take you in another direction altogether —things like marriage, divorce, or the addition of a child can impact your life goals profoundly. At that point, you’ll most likely want to reevaluate what you’re working toward. It’s the obstacles in life that make you stronger and reinforce your dedication to your goals. They can push you beyond your limits and even unleash your creativity.
3 They weren’t aligned with your desired lifestyle.
When it comes to goals, consider the outcome. If I reach this goal, what will my life look like? Is the outcome truly something that is going to give you a fulfilling life? Or will it make you miserable? Sometimes things seem like good things to have until we see how those things can impact our daily lives. Then it gets real.
Sometimes the things that we think we want aren’t actually what we want in life. For example, we may think we should get a larger house. The reality is, a bigger house would require more cleaning, more maintenance, and a bigger mortgage. When you think about the day-to-day of buying a big house, you might realize that you’d rather spend your life doing things that you enjoy instead of cleaning or sweating about a big mortgage. Similarly, you might find that you have goals that seem like a good idea, but in reality they aren’t aligned with the life you want.
Truth be told, setting goals is important because they provide us with direction. Just remember to also work out the steps to accomplish your goal. They will help you be realistic about what you can achieve and set you up for success!
We wish you the best in 2023!!
Smart Schools helps adults 22 and over earn their high school diploma. The affordable program offers unprecedented flexibility, allowing you to pursue education from any location. Connect with us today at (844) 467-5278 to start your journey!
Sources
7 Powerful Ways To Overcome Obstacles And Win In Life
Atomic Habits for Mental Health
Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.
Using Atomic Habits, Mindset Interventions, and Other Simple Steps to Reimagine Student Success