5 Biggest Mistakes Everyone Makes When Setting Goals for the New Year
It has happened again: you planned new goals for the new year, yet failed to achieve them. So now you’re left wondering, “What am I doing wrong at setting goals?”.
Setting goals ain’t easy, and reaching them ain’t easier.
If 92% of people fail at sticking to their New Year’s resolutions, how can you make it to that 8% who set goals and actually achieve them?
Well, you probably need to avoid making one – or all – of these 5 common mistakes everyone makes when setting goals! 😉
So, are you ready to finally make it, this year? Then, let’s get started!
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1. Lacking clarity
First things first – if you don’t know what you want, you’ll never get it.
This is what most people get wrong when setting goals: they come up with an idea, but then they forget to think it through.
If you don’t know exactly what you want, how can you take the right steps to make it happen?
Lacking clarity means that you set goals such as:
- Waking up earlier
- Saving money
- Becoming more productive
- Reading more books
- Making money online
- Becoming a more positive person
- Eating healthier
These kind of goals means everything and nothing.
They’re too vague! And vague goals won’t lead you anywhere.
So, how can you avoid this? Well, you could start by setting SMART goals! 😉
- S – Specific
- M – Measurable
- A – Attainable
- R – Relevant
- T – Time-bound
📌 SHORT ON TIME? PIN IT FOR LATER! 📌
How to Set SMART Goals
For example, if you want to start waking up early, get clear on the following prompts:
- Do you want to wake up early every day (including weekends) or only during the workdays?
- How early do you want to get up?
- What’s your plan to start waking up earlier and earlier?
- Why do you want to wake up early?
- By when do you want to hit certain milestones?
Or, if you want to save money, you must come up with an answer to:
- How do you plan on saving money?
- How much money do you want to save?
- Can your current lifestyle support this goal? If not, what tweaks must you make?
- Why do you want to save that money?
- By when do you want to have saved a specific amount of money?
Maybe you want to be more productive; so you need to define:
- What does “being more productive” mean to you?
- How are you going to measure your productivity?
- What changes are you going to make to your daily routine to boost productivity?
- Why do you want to be more productive?
- What’s your deadline for improving your productivity?
Even if people set similar – or even the same – goals, the reason behind them is different.
Perhaps, some want to get up early to have the time to work on their passion project before work; while others want to spend that extra time enjoying their cozy morning routine.
Some people want to save money for retirement, with no specific goal in mind; others might save up for an upcoming trip, to buy a house, or to build an emergency fund.
For some, being productive is a way to spend more time with their loved ones; while for others, it’s a way to get to work on their side hustle for longer.
Only by having the right clarity you are able to answer all these questions and set SMART goals.
PRO TIP: Are you struggling to get clear on what you want? Start by identifying your core values! 😉
2. Relying on extrinsic motivation
Now that you know what you want, there’s an important question you need to ask yourself: “Why do I want to achieve this goal?”.
Oftentimes, the real reason why you never manage to succeed is because you don’t truly want what you’ve asked for.
Setting goals only to please others is another mistake you might have been making when setting your goals.
Why? Because intrinsic motivation is stronger than extrinsic!
What does it mean?
In a few words:
- Intrinsic motivation is the strong will to achieve a goal because it’s aligned with who you are or aspire to be
- Extrinsic motivation means chasing something only to experience the external benefits it will give you
You’re pushed by intrinsic motivation whenever you:
- Make time to write your first book because it gives you purpose
- Start eating healthier because you want to take good care of your body
- Learn to play an instrument because it excites you
On the contrary, you know that extrinsic motivation is driving you whenever you:
- Work harder only to get a promotion
- Exercise only to receive nice compliments
- Do an act of kindness only to be praised by others
When you’re chasing external motivation, you’re more likely to be chasing things you think you “should” go after.
It’s not about what you want anymore, but more about what others want or expect of you.
You’re being conditioned by society to chase goals that, in reality, are meaningless to you – which is exactly why you struggle so much to achieve them!
3. Lacking skills and knowledge
After analyzing whether your life goals are the right goals for you or not, it’s essential to understand where you’re at in the journey.
Sometimes, what’s keeping you far from what you want is the gap in your skills and knowledge in order to get it.
This is the case if you’ve been dreaming of running a blog but don’t know what it takes to be a successful blogger.
The same goes if you’ve wanted to enter a particular job field for months but never made the time to learn what it takes to get the job.
Or, if you want to achieve the goal of learning how to play the guitar but have never held a guitar in your hands.
Want to know the harsh truth? You’ll never fill that gap by overthinking, wondering, and planning – but only by doing!
Taking action will get you from where you are to where you want to be. This, and nothing else!
The skills and knowledge you’re desperate to possess won’t magically come to you.
If you want to get better, you have to put in the time, effort, and eagerness to learn new things.
You must start as a beginner to give yourself the chance to become a master.
You must embrace what you don’t know to expand your knowledge.
That’s the only way to evolve and get better in life.
4. Overestimating your resources
Oftentimes, we underestimate our goals and overestimate ourselves.
That’s why, another mistake you’re making when setting goals is overestimating your resources.
Your resources are the time and energy you have available.
If this sounds like you, the key is being realistic about what you can accomplish right now. Not in the future, not only when you’re highly motivated – but on any given day, starting today.
How much time do you have available to work on [insert your goal here]?
And even more important, how much energy do you feel like you have to accomplish it?
You could have the best intentions in the world but, if you’re on the edge of burnout, it’s normal you don’t feel like working on your goals.
Or, you could have all the motivation in the world but, if you’re always busy, it’s normal you don’t have time to work on your objectives.
It doesn’t only come down to how motivated you are or how bad you want it. You must also consider your resources.
So, if you want to wake up early but can’t get to bed before midnight because of your job, setting the goal of waking up at 5 AM is only going to hurt you.
Or, if you want to save money but are earning only enough to make ends meet, you’re adding unnecessary stress to your life.
So, before setting any new goal, take the time to assess how much you’re willing to pour into reaching it.
5. Lacking a support system
If you’ve realized your goal is worth your time and energy, then you need to make it easier for you to achieve it.
The final common mistake people make when setting their goals is not creating a good support system.
A support system is tailored to help you achieve your goal not necessarily faster, but at least easily.
As James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits” mentioned in his book:
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
Your systems can be defined as the daily habits you must commit to get closer to your goal.
Creating a good support system means adopting healthy habits but also designing your environment in a way that makes it easier for you to make the right choice.
For example, if your goal is to eat healthier, try:
- Buying more fresh fruits and veggies instead of processed snacks
- Carrying a water bottle
- Not cutting out whole food categories but adding richer nutrients to the foods you crave
- Cooking more homemade meals instead of ordering takeout
- Leaning into intuitive eating, tuning in to your body and respecting its needs
Or, if you’d like to write your first book, you can:
- Outline what you’re going to write the night before
- Engage in reading a lot to not lose your inspiration
- Set a daily word count goal
- Always carry a notebook to jot down ideas
- Put your phone on DND for a specific timeslot of the day so that you’re going to fully commit to writing with no distractions
Find what works for you.
Build a support system that helps you reach your goals with more ease, and you’ll be more consistent to work towards achieving them.
PS. If you’re looking for the perfect strategy to help you achieve ALL your goals, you can’t miss out on the 90-Day Goal Action Plan! 😉
Conclusion
That’s all for me today!
No matter if you’re reading this at the beginning of the year, in summer, or on a random Tuesday – any day is a good day to set new goals.
But, if you’re in the goal-setting process, just make sure you’re not making those 5 mistakes! 😉
Q: “What’s the next goal you’re setting?” – Let me know in a comment! 🙂
Until next time,
