Today on the blog, we share a special post from Kristine Conway, a Professional Development Coach and host of Behind The Coach’s Door, a podcast dedicated to educating people on the secrets of professional coaching. Enjoy :-)
 

Have you ever stopped and considered if you were making the ‘right’ type of goals for yourself? If you are seeking abundance, it makes sense that you may be off chasing several goals at once, attempting to maximize your opportunities for prosperity.  

Having set a goal is an essential part of any achievement. However, various studies show that 80% of people don’t make any active effort to set goals. Even more shocking, the 20% of the population that does set goals fail at a whopping rate of 70%! 

The New Year will be here before you know it, and the pressure to set a resolution is just around the corner! It will be the number one conversation starter in the last few weeks of December - as well as the center of articles, talk shows, and social media posts. The temptation to follow the crowd will be immense. 
 

Considering the success rate of accomplishing resolutions and goals…  I beg you to STOP and evaluate if you are setting the right type of goal. 
 

At this point, you may be asking, “So, when is setting goals not linked to success?” Thank goodness you clicked on this article! You are about to save time, money, and maybe even some tears. When you set the wrong goals for the wrong reasons, the process can take a turn down a very dark road that leads to struggle, and oftentimes, failure.  
 

Setting the RIGHT goal for YOU is the KEY element in accomplishing what you want. 
 

Here’s how to make sure the goal you set is right for you:

1. Make it personal

Consider what is important to you. That may sound like an easy question until you give it some thought. What matters most to you? Is it money, freedom, security, fun, prestige? Now, ask yourself a few questions as to why that matters most to you. For example, does money matter most because it seems to matter most to others? Does it matter most because you don’t have enough? Does it matter most because your belief system equates success with the amount of money you have in the bank? 

Crafting a goal that has significance to you is one that will likely be accomplished. Avoid setting goals that are significant to others and not specifically important to you. If it matters to you, then you are more likely to adjust behaviors, remove barriers, and keep the energy going until you attain that goal. Reaping the reward of that accomplishment is much more of a prize.

2. Keep it simple 

What if you could just set one goal - how much would you prioritize accomplishing this goal? Say goodbye to the list of ever growing targets you create over a lifetime, no more health, weight, money, relationship, or parenting goals.  Just one goal that has the potential to not only simplify the entire concept of goal setting but also increase the success rate. Imagine creating an overarching life goal that crystalizes what you want out of life, how you want to contribute, how you want to feel, and what you want to experience. Now imagine accomplishing this goal - huge progress, right? This is why I recommend simplifying your goal into one overarching goal. 

3. Alignment

Creating a crystalizing goal will take some time upfront, but once you have it, you will have a guide to align all other decisions. Life becomes much easier, and who doesn’t want that? Let me explain how. If you have invested the time and thought into creating your overarching life goal, then when you’re faced with a quandary, it is easy to say no to things and people that don’t align with your life goal. 

Here’s a simplified example: 

Life goal: Experience freedom in such a way that I am the only one who defines how I spend my time every day.
Quandary One: Continue to work for someone else or take a risk and work for myself where I have total control of my days. 
Test: Which decision aligns with my life goal? Which distracts me from attaining my life goal?
Answer: Taking the risk is worth getting closer to my life goal.

The lesson here is to stop setting goals that won’t matter if they are achieved, and start making it personal, keeping it simple, and aligning to what matters most to you!