If you are into personal development, you would probably know how important it is to set goals.

We all want to set goals. Yet not many people can set goals in an attainable and achievable way.

Here are the 4 most common goal setting mistakes and what you can do about them.

1. YOU SET TOO MANY GOALS

We can easily dwell in the “satisfying feeling” that comes with planning our goals without evaluating if these goals are actually important to us or not.

Instead of setting many goals at once, there’s a lot of power if you focus only on what’s meaningful to you.

I’d recommend choosing only one goal for the year. Yes, ONE only.What is your #1 goal this year that will really move the needle forward for you?

Focusing on one goal at a time is how you can generate the energy and the power to plan, take action, and achieve it.

Multitasking simply does not work.

Don't make these 4 goal setting mistakes! Here's how to actually set goals that are achievable for the new year. people make, with practical tips and FREE worksheet to help you set intentional goals. Daring Living Blog daringliving.com — life coaching for working millennials #daringliving #visionboard #intention #goalsetting #personaldevelopment #lifecoaching

2. YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED & STRESSED ABOUT YOUR GOAL

Another common mistake with goal setting is that we aim for a goal that’s too high and feel overwhelmed and stressed about it.

This is not a comfortable feeling. We end up ignoring and giving up on the goal altogether.

This is one of the reasons why many people start their goals in January of the new year and give up in February.

Break it down and track your progress

There’s nothing wrong with setting big goals and aiming high. But you have to approach it in a realistic and attainable way.

If you’re setting a goal for yourself for the entire year, you have to break it down into small goals over the span of the year. Each small goal can further be broken down into projects/ assignments each month.

This is how you can measure your progress and see tangible results. Instead of working toward the big goal, you need to be focused on daily tasks and small wins that will encourage you to move forward.

Evaluate and re-evaluate

If you constantly feel overwhelmed by your goal, you may have to check in on your goal and evaluate it.

Why do you feel so stressed about it?
What’s not working right now?
What do you need to improve on?

As we’re growing, our situations can change over time. Our plan for the goal can also change and evolve.

Constantly evaluating and re-evaluating your goal, your approach, and the timeline is super important to your long term success.

Stick to the end goal (the result you want to achieve), but be flexible and open with how you’re getting there.

3. YOU ONLY FOCUS ON THE ACTIONS

Most of us only focus on the actions required to accomplish our goal. We create the plan, breakdown our goals, and list out all the steps involved.

Besides our behaviors, we also need to manage our thoughts and feelings.

If you do not think that you can achieve the goal, you will never achieve it.
If you feel resistant about your goal, it will be very hard for you to take actions.

How do you want to feel when you are achieving your goal?  What do you want to think about yourself and your goal?

Managing your thoughts and emotions is just as important as managing your actions.

You need to be clear about what your thoughts and feelings are, before you can take the right actions to achieve your goal.

4. YOU DO NOT PRACTICE COMMITMENT AND TRUST

Achieving your goal is a skill. As mentioned earlier, it is a practice of learning to manage your mind, your emotions, and your actions.

It is also a practice of commitment and trust. Especially if you’re setting a new and big goal, the first step is to commit to the goal and trust that you can achieve it.

You do not start doing that when you’re 98% there. You start practicing the trusting yourself and being committed to your goal on day one.

It is a decision to decide to trust and commit. Simply decide that you’re going to commit to the goal and make it happen. And decide to trust that you can achieve it.

And then, actively practice feeling the trust and the commitment every single day.

This is what differentiates those who achieve their goals and those who do not. It is the decision they make to themselves to stick by their goals and achieve them no matter what.

 

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Shirley Huang is a Certified Life Coach, Podcast Host, and online educator. She provides weekly resources to help people become leaders in their life, while loving themselves and having fun a long the way. Check out her Life Coaching Programs here.