People are quite bad at setting goals. Most abandon them almost as soon as they’re set. That’s because the majority of people aren’t setting goals, they’re voicing aspirations.
Aspirations have their place. You have to some idea of the person you’d like to become, and the heights to which you’d like to soar. By all means, dream big. Set your sights high.
Just don’t stop there.
Keep working on refining your aspirations and turning them into goals. The difference between the two is found in a plan. Goals come with actionable steps. You break them down into smaller pieces and steps.
Goals come with a plan, but even the best plan will help you little if you lack the commitment to follow it through.
“Breakdown your goals into daily activity. Ask yourself, “Am I committed to doing this every day without fail?” If your answer is anything other than yes, rethink your goals.”
It’s a problem of dedication.
Most simply aren’t dedicated to their goals. They’d rather keep them as nice inspirational thoughts and intentions. The grind is too much. They aren’t willing to do the daily work required.
It’s understandable. Goals inherently come with pressure. Pressure to perform and produce. Pressure to achieve. No wonder most abandon them before truly working on them. Better to get out while you can and avoid the disappointment and failure you may experience if you persist.
What if all the pressure and commitment issues are a result of setting the wrong kind of goals, goals that are ultimately outside your control?
Most set their sights on the achievement of things well outside their sphere of control. No wonder efforts result in a lack of dedication and end in disappointment. Few things are so frustrating as working hard to grasp something just out of reach.
When the focus rests on something you can control however, results are different. The effort and work are life-giving. You can actually influence progress. It builds momentum and keeps you marching forward.
What can you control?
You control things like your thoughts, actions, and attitude. You control what you eat, how you sleep, and how hard you work. You control what books you read, and how you use your time. No one can take these things away from you. They are things 100% within your grasp.
Which means you can hold yourself accountable to what you do with them. So, what will you do?
What daily actions do you need to commit to? What handful of changes should you make?
Do you need to start getting up earlier, so you have the time to work on things?
Do you need to shut off work and go home at 5 pm so that you can eat dinner with your family?
Are there goals you need to adjust?