Towards the end of each calendar year, many people set goals for the new year.
Many studies have been conducted on how successful people are at achieving their goals. The numbers are not encouraging. I just looked at a study that claimed less than 50% of people set yearly goals, and less than 10% of those people report having achieved their goals for the present year. Having been a goal setter for years—and a life coach—I’d like to share some thoughts on why I believe the numbers are so low.
1) The goal was not born of passion. It was chosen because it was socially acceptable, or because the person thought they “should” or “ought” to pursue it. Maybe the goal was mandated, as is often the case in the workplace, and the person had no say in the creation of that goal.
Having worked with many people, over many years, I can tell you—with certainty—that when a goal is not born of inner passion, the chances of achieving it go down significantly. And the loftier that goal is the greater the chance it will not be achieved. Bottom line: No passion = no deep commitment.
2) Because of conditioning, experiences, etc., many people do not really believe they can achieve their goals. In order to achieve any goal—especially one that “stretches” us—we have to first believe we have the ability to do so.
The truth is that many people have no idea what their true capabilities really are. We discover our capabilities by taking action. Sadly, because our society has taught us that “success” is everything, many people hesitate to put themselves in situations where they might “fail”—thus depriving themselves of the joys of personal growth! One of life’s great ironies is that in order to succeed we must first be willing to fail. Do you know of any child that stood and walked across the room on their first try? When they fall, we don’t call them a failure—we stand them back up and encourage them to try again. Isn’t it interesting that most people learn to walk. There is an important lesson here—belief and persistent action produce positive results. Bottom Line: No belief = no deep commitment.
3) People try to focus on too many things at once. Recently, a client proudly showed me their list of goals for the coming year. As I scanned the list, it almost took my breath away—and I’m sure that reaction showed on my face!
We human beings have two important resources which are both limited—time and energy. When they’re gone—they’re gone. We also regularly underestimate the time something will take to accomplish—and overestimate our energy reserves to do so!
I believe we should only move an item from our “possibilities” list to our “goals” list when we are truly committed—and have both the time and energy to complete that goal! Otherwise, we risk overwhelm, discouragement, and paralysis. Bottom line: No focus = no deep commitment.
When we endow our goals with passion, belief, and focus, we can achieve wondrous things—and experience incredible joy!