Every human being has been made differently – we all have our own wishes and desires that we want to fulfill and milestones that we want to accomplish. When it comes to taking a path to achieve these goals, people act in different ways. Some people tend to jump in straight into things, without any planning, and try to do things haphazardly. Where this may let them do certain short-term tasks, this approach fails when it comes to bigger, long-term goals.
Years before Aristotle said, “Well begun is half done.” He seems to have figured out the key to achieving goals in an efficient way and the importance of setting goals in the first place. Today, goal-setting is considered one of the stepping stones towards success. Entire researches have been dedicated to formulating goal-setting theories and numerous benefits are attributed to setting measurable goals.
Why set goals anyway? Well, it gives you the focus required to streamline your energy and efforts so you don’t go about aimlessly. Let’s say you want to set up a charity service in your area – without going step-by-step or in this case, goal-by-goal, you will only find yourself overwhelmed by the options available or the plethora of challenges that come your way in the process.
Setting goals gives you the discipline you need to keep going no matter what comes your way and saves you from giving up on your dreams. It also allows you to keep track of your progress and helps you evaluate whether or not you’re headed in the right direction; how far you’ve come and how much more you need to go. Also, when you know what to do next in your journey to achieve something, you naturally get motivated and driven to get it done and move on to the next step until you attain success in your goal.
Now that you know the importance of goal-setting, we’ll take you through some of the reasons why people tend to give up on their goals.
A lot of people want to achieve so much in their lives, but they keep getting intimidated in some way or the other. Self-confidence plays a huge role in giving you the ‘doer’ mentality – to decide to do something and stick to it until its completion. A lot of people lack this quality, either because they haven’t been brought up with the core value of self-confidence or because their life’s setbacks caused them to lose their self-esteem. People who have low self-esteem get defeated easily and this emotional instability causes them to lose heart early on.
A lack of confidence in one’s own self is absolutely crucial for the achievement of goals in one’s life. You may have a vision that only you’re passionate about and there might not be anyone to support you in it. If you look towards others to push you ahead, you might not get anywhere in your journey. So, dispelling self-doubt and believing in your dreams is essential to keep going.
Another factor that hinders the achievement of one’s goals is lacking determination and failing to persevere in the face of challenges. Many people see others attaining success and want the same for themselves, but fail to understand what it takes to become successful. Big names like Ford, Walt Disney, Alibaba, etc. did not become success stories overnight – people behind these names endured through difficulties but remained committed to their cause. We only see the outcomes of their grit and perseverance in the form of what they are right now but ignore all the hard work they put it behind the scenes over the years.
Lacking commitment to a goal, no matter how small it seems, and expecting quick results can be major limiting factors in the attainment of that goal. If you have a goal, commit to it fully and don’t look for shortcuts to get there.
Setting unclear goals is another reason why a lot of people give up at some point. You want to lose weight, but how much do you wish to lose? How do you plan to work around your busy work schedule or household responsibilities? What diet changes are you ready to make? These will all help you in being more specific and successfully traverse your weight loss journey. Following the SMART-goal approach can immensely help you in making your efforts more efficient by setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.
Having an idea is one thing and actively implementing it is another. Many people fail to achieve their goals as they keep procrastinating and never really start taking practical steps to work on their goals. If you never take the first step you’ll never reach anywhere in life – that’s a fact. If the business owner of Carpet Cleaning Windsor never took his idea of starting a cleaning services business seriously, he would never have achieved the reputation which he has now. So, anyone who wishes to do something of value must not keep putting off their ideas and should embark on the journey right away.
This is another reason for not being able to achieve one’s goals and it essentially stems from uncertainty in what you’re doing. The world is full of people who judge you for what you believe in – might be due to their jealousy, a delusion of being superior, or their own insecurities. However, in order to accomplish goals, one must not let the naysayers confound them, but take every judgment as a motivation to move forward and reach where they want to.
Finally, lacking a higher purpose that means something to you and is a cause of bringing value in others’ lives, can also make people deviate from the course and lose hope soon. Value drives motivation and positivity and the lack of it can easily cause people to give up on their goals. Therefore, setting goals with a higher purpose in mind, anticipating the good they’ll bring can be a means to keep going and not give up.
Arslan Hassan is an electrical engineer with a passion for writing, designing, and anything tech-related. His educational background in the technical field has given him the edge to write on many topics. He occasionally writes blog articles for Carpet cleaning Windsor.