Fear of Goal Setting - Why Set Goals?

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A Message from Noelyne...

Do you have a fear of goal setting? Have you set goals in the past that didn’t work out how you wanted?  Are you disheartened as a result?  Or maybe you are afraid to set goals in case you fail and you know how awful that feels so end up staying safe instead. Some people are afraid to set a goal in case they can’t handle the success so they put off setting the goal and keep putting it off.  Do you procrastinate when it comes to goal setting?

To set or not to set goals?

Do you even think about it?  Most people don’t and that’s OK so long as you are not bothered what turns up in your life and who you are, what you have and what you do.  So I’m in the yes goals are good for you school of thought.

First of all consider why you want to have a goal.  What’s your reason for wanting to be, do or have whatever it is?  Your Reason Why.  For example, you want to overcome your fears.  Great! A really positive desire.  However, why do you want to overcome your fears?  Why is this important? What will it give you?  When you know exactly why you have set the goal and if it’s a compelling reason then you will take the action require to achieve it.  For example, you want to earn more money because it will pay for your children’s education. You want to overcome your fears so that you can get a better job or start your own business and have the lifestyle you deserve.

You need to know where you want to end up so that you will know when you have got there.  If you are not bothered about where you end up and when then you don’t need to set a goal.  It’s about being able to measure how well you are doing and if you are not moving forward fast enough then you can decide what else you can do.  One of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey is Begin with the end in mind.  What is it that you want to achieve? If you want to be more confident, think about what this means.  What will you look like? What will you be saying? How will you feel? What will you do differently when you are confident?  Once you are clear about what the end goal means then you can start to work out what steps you need to take to get there.

In the business world it’s about having a Vision or mission statement and breaking it down into objectives that will get the organisation to where it wants to be.  All objectives need to be linked to the higher purpose and each individual needs to work on tasks that will achieve their objectives and ultimately the company goals.

In a survey of Yale’s University graduates it was found that 3% had accumulated more personal financial wealth, over a 20 year period, than the other 97% of the class combined.  The only difference was that the 3% had written goals.

Even if you know that setting a goal is a good thing to do that will not stop you from worrying about how you will achieve it.  Those fears about how you are going to get to where you want to be take over and you end up doing nothing except worry.  Your own thoughts limit your success.  You need to get into the habit of forgetting about the how, establish what you want to achieve and then trust that everything else will fall into place.

I am interested to know your experiences of goal setting so do let me know, you can submit comments below.

Enjoy the process of life,

Noelyne Jones

P.S. To help further with your fear of  goal setting request a copy of my Free Special Report

Key Habits to Develop for Success

A Message from Noelyne...

Habitual Developments to Achieve Your Goals

'It takes 21 days to form a habit'

People may be successful or fail in their goals simply because they have not adopted the right habits that ultimately make winners. You can stay successful for life and achieve your goals, regardless of the type and challenges, by having the right mindset and attitude. Start building healthier habits for a well-rounded lifestyle you can be proud of.

Motivation Matters

Motivation is the first step in starting your quest towards your goal, as well as making sure that you
stick to it no matter what. The best person who can motivate you for life is you. I recommend that you 'Begin with the end in Mind' as Stephen R Covey says in his book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People'. 

To start visualize or imagine yourself being successful and achieving your goals. 
What does success mean to you?  What do you see happening?  What are others saying?  How will you be feeling?  What will you be doing?   Imagine that you are a strong, capable, confident individual who can achieve anything as long as you put in enough time, work and heart into it. 

When you visualise achieving your goal do you get excited by the prospect?  Do you feel enthusiastic? 
Your goal really must be highly compelling if you are going to put the work, time and effort into achieving it and to persevere when the going gets tough.  Never believe the get rich quick schemes.  All the highly successful people that I know worked very very hard and overcam many obstacles to get to where they are now.  Many failed on a big scale at least once in their life.

You can also find a support system that can motivate you should you lose steam later on. Some of the best
persons include your family, your best friend, your spouse and your kids. Having a partner can greatly help
so that you can both inspire and push each other, when one is not feeling that good or lacks encouragement. Surround yourself with positive people who will raise your spirits when you get disheartened.

Progress and Review

Establish schedules to check your progress, using a calendar system. You can also include tools like a
handwritten list, a PDA or a day planner. When setting goals, you need to be specific and include the deadlines for each objective and goal. You need to develop the plan over time as you go over and review the items carefully. Some items will have to be revised later on as you'll soon realize. The more important thing is that you stay on track and do not lose courage and motivation.

Progress should be reviewed regularly. You can hire a coach or talk to a professional online to help you analyze things that might be hindering your progress. Check items that seem to be delayed or disturbed then analyze the possible affective factors. It is important to review your desire and passion for your goal every now and then too, so that you can always find the right persons and resources that will get you back on track.

Practice Makes Perfect

It takes time and practice to develop the right habits in becoming successful and achieving your goals every time. Some of the things you need to practice include discipline and patience. Discipline involves giving up some pleasures to get a more permanent result in the end. For example, you have to give up the cake for dessert or eat delicious fast food meals, just so you can enjoy the benefits of having a fit and beautiful body come summer. Set a timeline to develop habits too. You will find that your habits become more consistent through constant practice.  As I said at the start..it takes 21 days to form a habit.  It also takes 21 days to break a habit so never ever give up!

Optimism Pays

Make it a habit to stay optimistic at all times too, so that you can draw positive energy from others around you. That way, you get to find a lot of extra help, support and tips that will ultimately lead to your main goal.
Even if you come across some difficulties, make sure you stay positive in everything that you do. Pick yourself
up after each fall and determine to become better the next time. Experience is the best teacher so learn from your experiences both good and poor ones.  Review what happened by considering what went well and what could have been even better.  Then make sure you do something different the next time so that you get even better results.  I'm sure you've heard the saying 'If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got'. Stay positive and get positive results for a lifetime.


Enjoy forming some great habits for life,

Noelyne Jones

P.S. Request a copy of my Free Special Report on How to Overcome Your Fears here