Why People Give Up on Their Goals-And How Not To! Goal-setting, especially having the proper tools to structure goals, is crucial for long-term achievement. The usual problem, though, is not setting goals but completing them. While a vision involves creativity and foresight, goals require strategy and dedication. An extensive study on goal-setting by Marshall Goldsmith and Laurence Lyons helps us understand an essential component: why people give up on goals. Here, according to Goldsmith and Lyons, are six of the most common reasons people give up on goals--the inverse is success insurance: 1. Lack of Ownership. It's necessary to "buy in" to one's goals, to take ownership. Doing so shifts the initiative to an internal point of reference. Then effectiveness and mastery can result.
2. Time. Goal setters tend to underestimate the time it will take to complete the task (an "optimism bias"), leading to giving up.
3. Difficulty. The optimism bias equally applies to difficulty as well as time.
4. Distractions. People tend to underestimate the distractions and "noise" of competing goals.
5. Inadequate Rewards. Disappointment sets in when achievement of a goal fails to translate into other goals or to yield the desired happiness.
6. Maintenance. Maintaining changed behavior is difficult, and there is always the pull of the old and the fear of the new. Create a Map
A successful journey involves three critical steps: determining where you are now, deciding where you want to go, and figuring out how to get there. Creating a plan and plotting a course allows you to stay on track, recognize and avoid detours and distractions, measure progress, and move effectively toward goals. Without a plan, you cannot know where you are, nor strategize to get to where you want to go. If you don't know where you want to go (a goal), you can't figure out how to get there. Eleven Steps to Ignite Success The following steps will guide success when coupled with the blueprint of how to establish specific, attainable goals: |
