subject: Are You Making These 4 Goal Setting Mistakes? [print this page] Goal setting seems like a straightforward process. We decide on something we want, make a plan for it, then execute it. But if it's so simple, why do so many people fail? Here are a list of four common mistakes that are made when people set goals:
1. You're Doing it for the Wrong Reasons. Perhaps you want to accomplish this goal because you feel like it will bring you a measure of respect or love from someone else, or maybe you are doing it because it is the cool thing to do. In these instances you need to measure up to yourself and look in the mirror and ask yourself if this is something you truly want.
Remember, people's feelings are fleeting, and fads come and go faster than the seasons, but your happiness is something you have to live with. Avoid goals that aren't going to give you the success and happiness you utterly deserve.
2. You're Not Making it Bigger than Just Yourself. Attaining wealth is a common goal, but most people can't say what they would do when they got it. To make your goal "deep" and profound, attach a strong sense of purpose to your goal. For instance, if you want to become wealthy, outline how you are going to give back to the community to make it a better place. If you are looking to lose weight and get fit, outline how you are going to inspire others to do the same.
Doing these things just for yourself is commendable as it is, but once you attach this greater sense of purpose to your goals you gain a deeper level of satisfaction upon completing the steps of your journey.
3. You're Not Evaluating Yourself During Your Journey. To be honest with oneself is a difficult science to master. You are fighting one of the most powerful forces on Earth when you are trying to objectively assess yourself- your ego.
The fact is, you don't want to believe that you didn't try hard enough. You don't want to believe that your focus wasn't there. But the reality is always difficult for our precious little ego to wrap its head around. Dissect your wins. Learn what you are doing correctly, and apply these valuable, priceless lessons to your future plans.
4. You Beat Yourself Up When Things Go Awry. This happens to us all- we plan and hope for something, and when it doesn't happen, we begin to believe all those nasty little things we think about ourselves every once in a while: "I'm not good enough", "I don't deserve it", or "Success is for the elite, not for me."
Again, this comes down to battling your ego, and making yourself as objective as you possibly can. Learn from your mistakes. Understand where things fell apart, and ruthlessly apply this lesson to the future. Remember, it wasn't a mistake when you were doing it. It only became one because of the outcome.
