When I try to get started with goal setting, I over-think and over-plan. I make lists, set schedules, and extensively research exactly what I need to buy in order to accomplish this goal. If I am aiming to run more often, I can spend hours comparing user reviews of sneakers, running shorts, sports bras, and eve hair elastics before I log a mile. I mull my schedule thinking about when I can squeeze in time to go to the gym and work out, instead of getting up, putting my sneakers on and running.
That’s why I decided to start researching goal setting and the common pitfalls people face when they get started. Most people, when they decide they want to accomplish a goal, do one of three things:1. Rush in with no plan.
Photo / Pottery Barn
2. Get stuck in planning mode.
Photo / Pottery Barn
This is me! They think about the goal, research it extensively, reading theories as to why some other people succeed at this goal and other do not. They carefully research and purchase all the gear needed, taking time to compare different brands.
They feel very accomplished because they have planned, but they have not really done anything.
None of these strategies will work too well. In the first, you will burn out quickly, in the second, you’ll never get started, and in the third, you will feel a sense of accomplishment before you have actually begun.
3. Plan to start... next week.
Photo / Elle Decor
They think a lot about the goal and plan to start it "next week," "next month," "after vacation."
- They want to go to the gym, but only after they know they can run a mile without sweating.
- They want a new job, but only after they work another month at their job so they can put on their resume they worked a year instead of 12 months.
- They want to quit smoking, but next week may the stressful so it is better to wait. Often times goal setting is scary because it means changing yourself. In reality though, goal setting mostly involves changing your habits and routines (I'll discuss this more in How to Use Routines to Meet Goals).
Read more form the Goal Setting Series:
Goal Setting 101
Absolutely everything you need to know about goals and goal setting:
What is Goal Setting?
How to Get Started with Goal Setting
How to Achieve Goals
How to Set Goals
How to Use Routines to Achieve Goals
Set the Goal: Get Better Sleep
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Be Productive Every Day: The Daily Routine Series
Absolutely everything you ever wanted to know about how to create and follow your own customized daily routine to get more done.
