Reasons Why People Don't Set Goals

Every person's ability to be successful in personal goal setting mainly depends on himself. Failure, likewise will depend on whether or not the person is determined, diligent, and persistent. Some, though, stay at the middle and choose not to set goals. Here are the five main reasons why they refuse to do so.

Setting Negative Goals The way you think about your personal goals can contribute on how you feel about them, and whether you will achieve them or not. For example, a lot of people set a goal to "lose weight." But, such goal connotes something negative. It is basically centered on something you do not want, and that is your weight. One positive way to reverse this without actually changing the results you want is by setting a goal to "be healthy."

Another example of a goal that implies something negative is "stop staying up late." One positive way to rewrite this is to "go to bed early." Negative goals are not emotionally uplifting. Such goals may give you a harder time focusing and working on them. Rephrase any of your negative goals so they will sound positive.

Targeting at the Past. Too often, some people are pressured to catch up on the things they should have accomplished the previous years. The result is, a too long and too congested list of goals and resolutions written down out of the anxiety over procrastination and missed opportunities. If this is your case, do not be too hard on yourself.Remember, you cannot bring back the past, all the opportunities you missed, the time you lost. You need to shift your focus to the present. If you don't and keep on aiming on the past, you will find yourself always catching up until it would be impossible to refocus yourself to the present.

Not Creating a System for Remembering Your Personal Goals. You are starting right when you are writing down your goals. However, you need to have a system that will help you bear your goals in mind always. If you don't, you will most likely forget the goals you have written and turn off course. Forgetting them might require you to start all over again which is basically a waste of time, energy, and emotional investments. To help you remember your goals, make use of external reminders. For example, rewrite your goals on small notepads and paste it on places like your computer, fridge, and bathroom mirror. You can also input reminders on your mobile phone.

They are afraid to fail. Most people refuse to set goals because they are scared of failure. Fear of failure can be the greatest obstacle towards success. If you do not overcome your fear, you will never be successful in personal goal setting simply because people naturally avoid that which they fear the most. You must find out why are you terrified of failing then think of ways that will help you beat that fear. You need to be stronger than your fear.