Goal setting is so overrated!
Let me (Christine) explain; too many people set goals that are so far out of reach, too easy or too complex or just plain ridiculous that there is no way to achieve them. The extent of the goal is SO far out there, that they are unable to find a starting point and feel like they have failed right from the get go. That’s why I say goal setting is overrated.
There are many approaches to goal setting. You can search Google and you will find about 1,230,000,000 results.
So, if it’s that easy to find out about goal setting, what to do, when to do it, and how to do then why do so few people actually achieve their goals?
Let me tell you why…
I have worked with elite athletes, National sports teams, corporates, executives, scientists, clinicians and more, and the reason so many people fail at goal setting and achieving what truly matters most to them, is because their goals are not aligned to who they truly BE!
- Not aligned with their true Authentic self
- Not aligned with their passion
- Not aligned with their strengths
Another trap is thinking they need to set a large number of goals in order to succeed. When the goals are so large or so many, we develop stress and this leads to procrastination as a stress reliever.
That’s why people do not follow through with their action plans AND that’s why their goals are not achieved!
When our goals are not aligned with who we truly be, our strengths, and our passions, then we lose motivation to execute the action plan. In other words, we are setting ourselves up to fail before we have even begun.
On the flip side when we set goals that are true to who we BE, not what we DO or our roles, then we are more driven to take that first step and achieve. This creates higher levels of motivation and therefore action!
You may say this seems to make sense BUT ‘I have team goals at work that I must meet to make the grade’, ‘there are high pressured metrics that I must reach to get the next level of promotion’, or ‘I have to meet the demands of my boss’.
External factors play a part in achieving goals however, they must not be the primary driving force.
The four keys to increasing motivation and finding success is to set goals that:
- Energise us to perform, even in those moments when we ‘do not feel like it’.
- Activate and use our strengths. Those skills and attributes we know we can call on anytime because we are so good at them.
- Ignite that fire in our bellies! Stir those feelings deep within that says yes this is truly me!
- Inspire simplicity. Set and achieve the one or two really specific goals that will keep us on track to achieving greatness every single day!
Setting goals that truly align with who we BE, empowers us to achieve so much more in life and career. Through goal setting we raise the bar, set higher standards for ourselves and increase our motivation to reach new heights of greatness. Then we are inspired to set the next round of goals to take us even higher!
The secret then is agency – taking consistent daily action. Kick starting the first step instantly and applying constant effort. This way, we don’t allow for the self-doubt, the negative self-talk or the self-sabotage to get in the way.
That’s how to increase your motivation, maintain higher standards for yourself and achieve success.
If you are one of the 80% of people who struggle greatly with setting or achieving goals consistently, or experience dips in motivation and get side-tracked by procrastination, then click HERE and set yourself up for success.
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