Goals are the thing we aim for. We set a target and we head towards the goal.
Whenever I look at my biggest successes in life, I notice there’s a common theme. The common theme is that I set a goal and I went for it.
Photo by Ameer Basheer
Whether the success has been the growth of this blog, the Reel Leadership articles, or some other aspect of my life, goals have been a major source of the success.
If we know goals help us achieve success, why do so many of us fail to set goals?
Why We Fail To Set Goals
Goals can be scary. They tell us what we hope and dream for. They set something before us that we haven’t yet achieved… but want to.
Goals set us up for future success. Goals can also set us up for future disappointment.
Questions race through people’s minds. Especially the perfectionist. These questions make us doubt whether or not we should set goals. These questions are often the reason we fail to set goals.
- What if I can’t grow my business by 20% this year?
- Will people think less of me because I had to fire a team member?
- How will I feel if I don’t reach my goal?
What we don’t set, we can’t fail at. So… we decide not to set goals.
I’ve been there and done that. I’ve received the cheesy shirt…
And you know what the most frustrating part of it all is? I know the benefits of setting goals. I’ve seen my website take off. I’ve seen people become better leaders. And I’ve become more involved in activities that move my mission forward.
Have you been there, done that too? I think we all have.
Why You Need To Set Goals
Having been an off and on again goal setter, I realize the importance of setting goals. These are our whys for goal settings.
Setting goals helps you have a clear target: If you don’t have a goal, you don’t know what you’re aiming for. You may have a vague idea but there’s not a finite target you can hit. It’s just a vague generality.
A vague “goal” isn’t a goal at all. It is an unformed idea that doesn’t help you get closer to where you want to be.
Setting goals helps you figure out a way to be successful: Whenever I set goals, I am able to see a clearer pathway to achieving the goal. Say I want to increase the revenue of my blog by 20% this year… I can begin to craft a way to get there.
I can take 20% and divide it by 12. This gives me the number 1.67. 1.67% is the amount I would need to increase revenue of the blog by each month. I can then begin to brainstorm ideas of what it would take to see a 1.67% increase.
Setting goals helps you to know when you’re done: You can accomplish and hit your goals. Vague ideas, you can’t. If you have a clearly defined goal, you will know when you’ve achieved your goal. Set goals that have a measurable and definable end. This way you’re not constantly wondering if you’ve hit your goal or not.
It also allows you to stop. You hit the goal, you stop with that goal. You can then reassess if the goal needs to be transformed into something bigger or if there is another goal you can begin to tackle.
We need to set goals because setting goals allows us to track our progress and make sure we’re making progress on the tasks that need to be done. Don’t be scared of goal setting. Goal setting will only help you achieve and be more.
Question: What’s your biggest struggle in setting goals? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.