Why Goal Setting Doesn't Work For Most People

Everyone wants to reach goals, but most people will set them, and then they just can't seem to follow through and achieve results. So, why does goal setting not work for most people, and is there something that can be done to increase the odds of reaching your goals? The answer is yes, and it all falls into priorities, passion, and the right mindset for change.

Everything Is A Priority

If you want to reach your goals, start by looking at your priorities. It is not uncommon to see organizations that present a list of 20 priorities – which makes nothing a focus – there are too many things to figure out what really matters. When you have too many priorities, then everything seems equally important, and it stagnates progress. I call this the Superhuman Paradox, a concept I coined in my book, Happy Woman, Happy World, which addresses feeling like you have to be the best at everything. Because of this all-or-nothing thought process, you can never measure up. This paradox happens when we look at all the things that other people are doing well, and think that we magically become an accumulation of all the great things they are accomplishing when each person is only good at one thing. How realistic is that goal? It's not. These people are not great at everything; they are great at something, and you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you think you can become a superhuman that is number one at multiple things.?

When you can detach yourself from this false reality, it takes a great deal of pressure off of you, and you can stop feeling the unrealistic pressure to be excellent in multiple areas. If you want to reach your goals, narrow your priorities and stop trying to be the best at everything.?

The Goal Doesn't Evoke Passion

Another reason people are unsuccessful at reaching goals is because they sell themselves short and don't set a goal that excites them. If you select a goal to accomplish 10% growth in your company, how does that goal spark passion and energy? But if you shift your goal and say that you want to reach $1 million, $5 million, or even $10 million in sales so that you can make that giving trip to Africa that you have always dreamed about, then you can create passion around the goal. Whatever your goal is, you have to have a reason that you want to pursue it. It has to be something you can really put your heart and soul into.

If you make the mistake of goals being set with your head only, then you will miss the spark that makes it something you desperately want to accomplish – something that is worthy of you, where there's a meaning behind it. Make sure your goals are aligned with your mission and vision in life because boring, uninspiring goals are rarely reached.

Sabotage By Your Internal Boycott Mechanism

Lastly, your goal setting may not work because you are underestimating your internal mechanism that resists change and is designed to keep you exactly where you are right now. Psychologically, every change you make feels like a subconscious threat, and your internal voice begins to scream that you don't need to do it. No matter how bad your situation is or how much you want it to change, your internal boycott mechanism will resist the change at all costs and tell you to stay where you are – the unknown could be worse. So, if you are setting goals that require change, you must prepare yourself for this internal challenge, or you will hear it, begin to make excuses, allow doubt to creep in, and over time, start to talk yourself out of your goal. Your internal voice will give you a multitude of the reason why you need to stay where you are because you are hardwired for safety, and change rarely feels safe.?

So if you are setting goals and want to move forward with your life and make meaningful changes, you must make them with these concepts in mind: priorities, passion, and mindset preparation. At the Growth Architect, we want to help you break through the mindset that keeps you defeated and provide you with the strategies and tools to shift you into a positive mindset that allows you to reach your goals for your life and your business. If you enjoyed this article, watch my video – let's grow!