Summary

Setting goals without focusing on the process is considered ineffective for long-term success and personal fulfillment.

Abstract

The article argues that simply setting goals can lead to disappointment and a never-ending pursuit of achievement, as goals often create an illusion of success that is unattainable without a proper system of actions. It suggests that focusing on the process, rather than the end result, allows for more consistent and intentional actions, which are crucial for achieving goals. The author emphasizes that breaking down goals into smaller, actionable steps is more likely to lead to success and makes it easier to identify and correct any missteps along the way.

Opinions

Goal setting alone can be dehumanizing and lead to a lack of satisfaction, as it encourages a constant chase for achievements without providing true happiness.
The achievement of goals does not guarantee fulfillment, as individuals may find themselves in a perpetual cycle of setting new goals without appreciating their accomplishments.
Success is not determined by setting the same goals as others but by the unique systems and processes one implements to achieve those goals.
Celebrating small victories en route to a larger goal is important for maintaining motivation and recognizing incremental progress.
Reevaluating and refining the process after failure is key to future success, allowing individuals to learn and adjust their approach to goal achievement.

3 Reasons Why Setting Goals Is Useless

Do something more than just setting goals.

Every year is the start of something new… right?

You go into the new year all fired up, ready to achieve something big. You take out your diary, and you start writing all your big dreams, and everything you want to achieve for the year.

Sounds good?

Well… I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but you need to stop. Stop writing down your goals. Or rather, don’t JUST write your goals, do something else BEYOND THAT.

Let me first explain why setting goals alone is useless.

You Set Yourself up for Failure and Disappointment

When you set goals for yourself, it makes you feel that you need to achieve that particular result. Otherwise, you are not good enough. This is all the more problematic when you set yourself an ambitious goal, which is very likely because setting goals is much easier than actually trying to achieve them.

I used to set goals for myself years ago. While setting a goal, I remember that I would get extremely idealistic and dreamy-eyed. I would go on to write things in my diary like I’m going to excel in all my examinations in school by getting straight As, or I will completely stop playing games because it is a distraction.

Of course, these are very difficult goals to achieve, at least for me. But, it didn’t seem difficult to me back then when I was setting it. I’m sure you can guess what happened next. I failed to achieve those goals, got disappointed, and decided never to set goals again.

Lack of Satisfaction

For some of you, you may actually achieve what you set out to do. Great. That’s good news, right…?

But, so what if you achieve your goals? And, what’s next for you?

The problem with goal setting is that once you have achieved your first goal, you are going to set another one. And another one. And another one.

What you are going to end up doing, is to just constantly be in search of achievements and “happiness”.

Mind you, I said “happiness”.

Are you going to be truly happy when you are constantly striving to achieve a certain result? There’s no end to it, you just keep doing it. In fact, I would go as far as to say that setting goals is dehumanizing. It’s like you are running a race that never ends. The endpoint just keeps getting further every single time. It’s tiring and you will never achieve that sense of fulfillment or satisfaction.

Winners and Losers all Set the Same Goals

Setting goals does not distinguish oneself from others. Many people set the same goals, but not every one of them achieves the same success.

Let’s take earning money through Medium as an example. I’m sure most of the writers here on Medium want to earn big bucks while publishing their articles on Medium. That’s my target too! Does everyone get to earn more than $100 a month on Medium just by publishing every day? The answer is no. Then you ask yourself, but why? We set the same goal, why are we getting different results?

It’s simple. Setting goals is not something that will make or break your success.

There’s something more to it than just setting goals.

So, what should you do beyond just setting goals for yourself?

Focus on the Process

Instead of looking at the endpoint (i.e. your goal), focus on the system of actions that will point you towards the direction of your goals.

You need to plan out every action that you are going to take to achieve your goals. Every action that you are going to take must be intentional, and consistent. This will create momentum, a flywheel effect, to help you achieve your goal.

You are more likely to achieve your goals when you break down your big goals into small, actionable steps. You can only reach the top of the mountain by taking one step at a time. It’s the same when it comes to achieving your goal.

Not only that, when you set smaller targets along the way in a bid to achieve the larger goal, and you achieve those smaller targets, it is a form of success as well (something worth celebrating!).

And when you fail in achieving your big goal, it is easier to find out why. You look back at your system of actions, and find the broken link. This way, it will be easier to pick yourself up and try again.

After all, who says you can’t set the same goal as last year, right? If a goal didn’t work out for you in 2021, try again in 2022, but with a different set of systems of actions. At the end of the day, process matters way more than just setting goals.

So, setting goals alone is useless! Go beyond that, and focus on the process.

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