5 Goal-Setting Mistakes You Need to Avoid in 2013

Posted: January 14, 2013

[caption id="attachment_11123" align="alignright" width="346"]© viktor88 - Fotolia.com[/caption]We've all set goals with good intentions of keeping them. Most successful and productive people set goals and work diligently to achieve them. Often times, you need to reevaluate those goals to make sure you're on the right track. And, don't be afraid to tweak the goals to make them more attainable.

How often do you set yourself a goal and then fail to achieve it? Do you ever reflect on the reasons why you didn’t achieve your goal? Now that we have entered 2013 the world has started setting New Years’ resolutions and goals for the year.

All too often, people set goals with good intent. Unfortunately, statistics and real life experiences indicate that on the majority of occasions these goals are not actually achieved. There are a number of mistakes that people make when they set their goals at the start of the year.

If one of these mistakes are made, then before even starting you are setting yourself up to fail.

There are 5 key goal-setting mistakes that you need to avoid in 2013.

1. Your goal is too general or too vague

If you have done any kind of goal-setting before you’re bound to have come across the SMART technique of goal-setting. SMART still prevails as the number one method for goal-setting and for good reason.

To quickly summarise for those that do not know, SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

If your goal is not specific and it is ambiguous in some way, how will you know when you have actually achieved your goal?

How do you actually know if you’re heading in the right direction?

For example, if your goal is to ‘become fit’, how do you actually know when you are fit? Are you taking tests? Is it when you can run 8 kilometres without stopping?

You should be able to measure your goals and track your progress. If you can’t, then it’s probably too vague.

2. Your goal is too difficult and not realistic

The SMART principle once again comes into play here.

All too often people set themselves goals that are far too stretching, either in competency and skill level, or in terms of time.

For someone to have a goal of writing a novel in the next 6 months without having any kind of previous experience would be extremely difficult (depending on the size of the novel and whether it’s to be published or not).

When the goal is beyond reachable, it simply acts as a de-motivator. Negative thoughts enter the mind and disbelief kicks in. This is the opposite of what a good structured goal should do.

Ensure your goal is achievable and realistic. Set small targets along the way so you can track your progress.

If you feel you are falling behind, reset your goal to something that is more realistic. There is no shame in reviewing and revising your goals. In fact, this is something you should be doing.

Read the remaining 5 Goal-Setting Mistakes You Need to Avoid in 2013 at Dumb Little Man.