Goal Setting Reimagined: The 5 Under-the-Radar Factors That Matter Most
To achieve any goal, write it down, and before you begin, unpeel the layers of your life
I received an email in my inbox announcing a new series from a Master Life Goal Coach, whom I’ve previously taken workshops with. The series is called the “Take Back Your Life Series,” and it highlights a rather gloomy goal-setting statistic.
The headline reads, “80% of Americans wake up every morning with zero goals! Is this you? Learn to set your 2024 goals this Sunday.”
This timing is perfect to share insights on goal setting, not just for writers, but for anyone who makes New Year’s resolutions, or even for those who don’t.
With the fourth quarter fast approaching, content creators, in particular, understand the need to tighten up and assess their progress.
The reason I’ve discovered I’ve had challenges achieving my goals (and why you might be struggling too), is because of these five reasons, although as you’ll see some hinder progress more than others.
✅1/ Layers of Life:
Life is tightly layered with thick issues that require unpeeling before you can realistically achieve your goals.
My thick issue is that I’m a thick girl. “Thick or Treat” — I was going to create a t-shirt with the saying. I digress.
In my personal journey to lose weight, I regularly exercise and have a couple of days of balanced eating. My exercise aligns more with recommendations for staying healthy, which suggests exercising for 30 minutes per day.
I don’t engage in enough physical activity to lead to weight loss in proportion to the calories I consume.
The layers I must unpeel include figuring out how to lose while taking several medications known to cause weight gain, such as insulin for Type 1 Diabetes.
No diabetes lessons here, but my pancreas doesn’t function, meaning I’ll forever be dependent on insulin.
My endocrinologist, as well as other weight loss programs I’ve paid for and tried, acknowledges the unique challenges faced by Type 1 diabetics in losing weight.
Another layer needing unpeeling is that I’m currently on an ongoing 8-month road trip and I’ve been eating bad! Bad!
I’m returning to my home base soon, and I’ve already started peeling layers by writing my plans down.
What layers do you need to start peelin’?
✅2/ Working Harder and not Smarter
In an article on Forbes.com, excerpted from the book “Dream Big and Win” by Liz Elting, she states, “I wish I could tell you about the shortcuts we employed, but there were none. If you want massive success, you’re going to have to put in massive effort over an extended period of time. And there’s nothing glamorous about it. It’s about working tirelessly to achieve a goal, even when you think you can’t go any further, and then pushing on regardless.”
Many of the people I know are hard workers, and we’ve got that part down.
I’m also a hard worker, but I’m not a smart worker, and it’s dumb. Putting in so much effort without achieving significant success is as unproductive as engaging in unproductive activities.
What I believe working smarter means for my life is completing projects I start. I’m not a perfectionist by any means and have no desire to be, but my main problem is investing months, and in some cases, years into a project only to abandon it. Dumb, dumb.
How about you? Do you work hard but not smart?
BTW, Liz Elting, co-founder, and former CEO of TransPerfect. She played a key role in building the company into one of the world’s largest language service providers. She recognized in the business world for her entrepreneurial success.
✅3/ Give Up after hitting a bump in a goal
I’ve been working on a simple eBook and online course for over a year now, focusing on how to fund your dreams. During this time, I’ve been on on a long road trip.
In this book, I share my journey of creating and selling content, which has enabled me to afford my road trip sabbatical (aka Fund my dream of a long US road trip).
Originally, my goal was to complete the project in 30 days, and I believed this was realistic because I’ve done it before. Lots of times.
However, it wasn’t finished in 30 days but rather in about 90 days, and I’m still in the process of refining it, which has now extended to over a year.
It ain’t finished!
With this project, I’ve encountered bumps, and when I hit bumps, I pause or quit.
This pattern repeats with many projects, burdening my computer’s cloud space with the weight of dozens of unfinished projects.
Is this you, starting projects and never finishing, struggling to achieve goals?
✅4/ Complacency
We live in a complacent world, where people are fat off of complacency. Complacency is comfortable AF. People thrive on complacency’s comfort. See how here.
I believe this is especially true as you grow older because older people often have less energy, are overweight, and remain static and content.
They are not eager to learn anything new, so when you’re busy with learning new things (as an entrepreneur) they might not understand why your time is limited.
I understand the allure of complacency well, complacency is a smooth operator.
During my eight months on the road, living in a van, I’ve found myself embracing complacency each time I settle in a new area for a few weeks.
I establish a similar routine, locate a coffee shop to work, and a gym for showers, making use of my various memberships and subscription services. SEE HERE.
I’m candid, the best thing about a Nomadic lifestyle is also the worst.
Beware though, the mentality of maintaining the status quo hinders both personal and professional growth.
For instance, if Johnnie’s side hustle fails, it’s no big deal because she still has her stable, well-paying job. If Johnny doesn’t shed those extra ten pounds, that’s fine, people have complimented her on the fuller figure.
Isn’t complacency comfortable?
✅5/ Letting Others Dictate Their To-Do List
This issue affects me, but to a lesser extent than it does others. I made a conscious decision years ago to prioritize my own goals and aspirations over non-emergencies and others’ demands.
It’s not about selfishness, well, maybe it is, but it’s about helping myself so I can also help you.
My friend said, “Let me put on my oxygen mask, and then I’ll save you.”
When life becomes a never-ending cycle of “wash, rinse, repeat,” and you know your routine like the back of your hand, it’s easy to let goals wash away.
You can chat, play the role of a therapist, handle emergencies, talk on the phone while driving, and stay updated with the latest gossip.
Have you ever observed those people who answer every phone call and text? Goes down every gossip news cycle? Opens the door when someone drops by unannounced?
These people either don’t understand the value of achieving goals or they are so afraid of their goals that they allow life’s interruptions that are non-urgent.
I remember years ago becoming friends with a girl named LaTosha. All Tosh did was call me when we got off work, and for hours I would listen to her go on about this man who wasn’t into her. I liked Tosh but damn, I can’t get back those wasted hours.
Listening to nonsense is harder than taking small bites to accomplish your big goal
Most of the phone calls I receive and don’t answer are from people who want to have casual conversations or discussions about nothing specific.
The introvert in me struggles to handle too many phone calls of that nature.
Every now and again, I’m down for a meaningless conversation with a friend, but not often.
The real reason distractions like phone calls or texts work is when you encounter obstacles in your goals, Mr. Distraction swoops in and derails you, and you forget about goals.
IN SUMMARY
Writing this article on goals and personal development took a bit longer than usual, but it proved to be a productive distraction. Through the process, I had a breakthrough in understanding that continuing the same old habits will yield the same results.
I went down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos and articles on goal setting, and a light bulb moment occurred when I realized that I must first unpeel all the layers obstructing the path to my goals.
I need to work smarter, learn how to navigate obstacles, resist the allure of complacency, stick to my to-do list, and not let others dictate my priorities.
Although I’ve heard it repeatedly about setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals, I must admit that I haven’t been setting my goals smartly.
This is extra, but here are my goals in the broadest sense:
1/Return to my hometown and prioritize my health.
2/Provide my family and friends with much-needed care and love while also setting boundaries.
3/Complete my eBook and online course on Funding Dreams.
4/Participate in NaNoWriMo in November and finish book 3 of my cozy mystery series.
5/Launch my True Crime podcast in January 2024.
What are your micro or big goals?
More From Meh>>>
Join me on Medium