4 Dangerous Mistakes in Setting Achievable Goals

Once you have identified any common reasons you fail to set goals, you need to identify common problems in setting goals. There are four common problems people make in goal-setting. These mistakes are dangerous enough to prevent you from accomplishing what you set out to achieve: #1 Too vague. A vague goal is general and contains uncertainties. Set a specific goal. The more specific a goal is made, the more likely you will achieve it. What exactly do you want to achieve? Maybe it is an intimate relationship with your partner. Saying, "My goal is to have more intimacy with my partner" is too vague. Convert it to a specific goal such as: "In 30 days, I will able to come home from work then talk and cuddle with my partner for 30 minutes everyday". This is a great goal as it is specific and measurable. You need to be specific and define exactly what you want. (I’ve written a complete article I recommend you read to truly define what you want.) #2 Get personal. A great leader knows he must inspire his team to take on an organization's goals as if the goals were the team's own. This is easy to achieve if the team has goals congruent with the organization. You are more likely to reach a goal that is personal instead of it being someone else's desire. #3 Determining the level of difficulty. It can be hard to set the correct level of an achievable goal. If a goal is too hard, you will not achieve it. If it is too easy, the goal is unchallenging, your journey to success will be slow, and you will lack a significant feeling of accomplishment. The correct level of difficulty is one that is challenging yet achievable. It energizes you because you know it is reachable. #4 Going public. You can avoid several reasons why people do not set goals by keeping your goals publicly hidden. While it can be good to let others know of your goals, if they could knock you off your pedestal through criticism, keep your goal quiet. Let a coworker know you aim to double your income within one year, and your goal could be shot down with criticism about the company, the lack of opportunity in society, or the impossibility of increasing your income. However, let the right person know of your goal to help you stay motivated. If you aim to build more intimacy with your partner, tell your partner the goal and work towards it together. The right person can redirect you on the path of success. These are the four common problems people make in setting good goals. The next step is to find out how you can overcome these problems.