5 Mistakes to Avoid When Goal Setting

Goal setting seems to have gotten a bad rap. Perhaps we have ineffective career development plans to thank for that. However, I believe goals are essential, even outside your career. Without a clear vision of what you want to accomplish, you’re just aimlessly wandering through life. Seriously! As I’ve said before, personal growth is not automatic; meaning, you’re not going to become a better person simply by going to work. You have to be intentional about it and form a plan.

I want to challenge you to think beyond your career goals. What do you want to accomplish during your time on Earth? It sounds cheesy but when it comes down to it, most of us really do want to leave a legacy of some kind. Do you want to retire early? Raise good kids? Travel the world? Pay off your debt and have financial freedom? Research has shown if people have a purpose, they are happier, are able to make decisions more effectively, and have more confidence/less regrets in those decisions. They know what they stand for and what’s important to them.

The key to creating short-term goals is to tie it back to your long-term goals, or ultimate vision. Here’s the process I follow:

1. Dream

   What do I value most? What makes me happy? If money was not an issue, how would I spend my time? Who do I aspire to be like? If I envision my dream life, I see…

2. Long-term goals

   Where do I need to be in 3 years to get closer to my dream? Where do I need to be 1 year from now?

3. Quarterly goals

   If I break-down my 1 year goal into quarterly goals, what steps do I need to take?

4. To-do list

   What is one thing I can do this week that will eliminate other steps or will get me closest to my quarterly goal? This is key! Rather than get overwhelmed with a long to-do list, try to accomplish just one thing each day, each week, etc.

You can download a print-ready goal planner below. Write your goals down, commit, and hang this up so you can stay inspired! Another tool I love to use is the Passion Planner, which includes a calendar, monthly and weekly to-do lists. You can get 10% off now by using this code.

In addition to this process, avoid making these mistakes:

• Use goals to fix a weakness. This is the reason many New Years resolutions do not materialize. If your goal is to lose weight but it’s not connected to a long-term goal, like running a 5k, or it doesn’t align with your purpose or priorities (ex: being healthier so you can live longer or set an example for your kids), then you’re not likely to stay committed.

• Forget to use a system. Many companies and business owners say they want to be successful. One common mistake they make is to set their goal as the end result, without identifying the steps to get there. What’s the difference between a goal and a system? A goal is the result, like $500,000 in sales revenue. A system is the process and daily tasks that will get you there, like effective communication, an engaged workforce, 3 calls/day, and a seamless on-boarding process.

• Get distracted with a million to-do’s. It’s easy to get pulled down the rabbit hole of keeping busy because we feel like we’re accomplishing something. Let me guess, you’re having a flashback to college when you went to the library to study and instead made your grocery list, looked for jobs, and checked Facebook. At least you got SOMETHING done, right?! Ha! Ask yourself whether this item on your checklist is really going to make a difference and help you accomplish your goal. Prioritize your to-do list in order of which steps are going to get you to the finish line fastest.

• Use an inappropriate deadline. We’ve all heard of SMART goals and I think you should use a deadline for weekly or monthly tasks. However, be careful about setting a date on a long-term dream. It may take more than 1 year to start your business or you may retire at 65, not 60, like you imagined. And that’s okay!!

Remember:

• Give yourself grace if you don’t succeed at first or don’t meet your deadline. I love this analogy: would you tell your baby they are not walking soon enough? No! It may be you haven’t had enough experience. This is a new journey and you’re learning so be kind to yourself.

• It’s okay if your goals change. I remember early in my career, a mentor told me not to expect a direct, straight climb to the top; it’s more like a winding, 2 steps forward, 1 step back type of path. He was spot on! My long-term vision has changed as I’ve worked in different roles and industries, entered motherhood, and endured other life-changing events. Remember, a builder uses different tools at different times too.

• You have to go through the mess first in order to learn and succeed. Another cheesy analogy: a flower grows in the dark and emerges from the dirt. Stay motivated by surrounding yourself with people who support and motivate you. (This is why I love masterminds.) Every quarter, remind yourself of your “why,” or purpose, to help you stay on track.

You’re either living or dying, growing or dying. What are you going to choose?

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