Carol Owens

Setting a Smart Goal: Achieving Your Goals

Today I’m starting a new series titled Setting a Smart Goal: Achieving Your Goals. Many of us start each January with great intentions. We set what we hope are smart goals for ourselves in every area of our life. But somewhere along the way, about three or for weeks into the new year we lose track of those goals and begin to falter. I know I have done this many times. This year I am determined to change that. With the mid-year coming up quick, I decided to look back at this years goals I set in January. So far, I am a little behind on my goals, but with this mid year review I can tweak and update, and break them down even smaller into smart goals that will help me achieve more of my personal and business goals for the rest of the year.

Many individuals who have tried to set goals for themselves and “failed” often refer to the notorious “first 45 days”—that is, those crucial six weeks after the New Year is set which makes or breaks most go-getters. The New Year is always a time of change, and usually the most active day for “new resolutions.” Starting a new goal (or set of goals) is so easy at first and your resolve is strong at the outset. However, by day five of your new life plan you start to feel the adversity. I’ll go into more detail on how to set smarter goals that are easier to accomplish later in the series.

The Most Common Mistakes in Goal Setting

What goes wrong in goal setting? What makes a solid list of goals go to pieces in just six weeks? The problem may be within the person who is trying to complete this list of goals or it may be the goal list itself. Here are four of the most common mistakes people make when planning their goals.

1. The goal is too vague.
A goal that is vague has no driving force. Achieving a general vision of happiness is usually a lost cause because the achievements are usually unrealistically high and because there are no signs or organization that helps keep you on a steady course. Learning to make smart goals can reduce any vagueness since goals should always be clear and specific. One way to do this is to ask the question “How will I know when I’ve achieved this goal?” If you are not sure, then your goal is probably too vague.

2. The goal is not yours but is someone else’s vision of success.

You must have a personal enthusiasm for accomplishing your goal. If your goal has been forced upon you by a spouse or by a family member then it will be more difficult to become motivated. If you are borrowing the success story of someone else and applying it to your own life, then again, this is not a goal that you have created but one that has been lifted.

3. You made your goal “public.”
It is good to get others in on your mission so they can provide moral support. However, sometimes friendship and camaraderie can be a two-edged sword. If you go “public” with your new goal and start telling everyone you meet, then you could face ridicule or criticism in the future. Friends can do the darndest things sometimes, which includes second guessing you and mocking your progress—which can be discouraging. I’ll discuss more about positive and negative peer pressure later in the series.

4. Setting an individual goal that’s too hard or too easy.
It’s best to avoid both extremes. A goal that is too hard right at the start will intimidate you from trying any harder. On the other hand, a goal that is too easy will not keep your interest or motivate you to press on further. In essence, you are insulting your subconscious mind with a task that is too easy. You can clearly see one major problem in creating goal lists: people not truly knowing what they want.

But how do you set goals that are easier to achieve, you ask? That’s the next lesson in the series: How to write smart goals that will be easier to achieve. In the meantime, what tips to you have for setting and achieving goals? Leave your tips / comments below.

Remember, you control your Success,
Carol O.