The Top 5 Mistakes to Goal-Setting and How to Avoid Them.

Originally published July 2022, Updated March 27, 2023

It is always the perfect time to realign yourself and take action on your goals this year.

Often, we set goals, and it stops there. No follow-through. 

Life gets in the way. Many other tasks pull you in different directions: doctor appointments, school activities, career, business, trying to stay balanced, etc.

Most of us don’t intend to get sidetracked or abandon our goals. The real issue is that we haven’t learned how to set goals correctly. That was me until I took a goal-setting class. 

So, instead of beating yourself up about how it’s already {Insert the current month] and you still haven’t [Insert current goal]

• Started your business. (Grab the Minding Your Business Starter Bundle ebooks for $27)
• Joined the gym. I can’t help you with this one. *insert shrug*
• Start Journaling. (Grab the Journey of Faith: Prayer And Dream Journal.)
• Written your book.
• Get Back into the Word of God (Join The Faith Lane Newsletter)
• [Insert Current Goal] (Grabe the S.M.A.R.T GOAL Worksheet)

Instead of beating yourself up about that second bowl of ice cream you had two nights ago or scrolling TikTok for hours every night this week, let’s use this moment as an opportunity to refocus and recommit. 

Top 5 Mistakes of Goal-setting. 

1. You Haven’t Prayed About It Yet – I’m sometimes guilty of this. I will start something so fast and then have to pause. Before you create a goal, get into the habit of asking God: Is this my next move? Where should I begin? Who do I need to involve?
2. You’re Focusing Too Much on The Result – The result takes time. If you focus too much on the finish line, you may get disappointed in the wait. Once you lose motivation, the goal becomes more difficult to achieve.
3. You’re Not Minimizing Distractions. Having a daily schedule that brings you closer to your goals is vital. If you haven’t read the book Indistractable by Nir Eyal. I highly recommend it.  He talks about how there are numerous ways that we can minimize our daily distractions if we understand why they are distracting us.
4. You’re Setting Goals Without a Realistic System: You can start with the end result and work backward. Your plan/system should be specific to how much time of day you will spend on said task. For example, if you plan to write a book this year, your result is the published book. Your daily action would be how many words you write a day. 
5. You haven’t Shifted Your Mindset: In the book Atomic Habits (another one I highly recommend), James Clear writes how the best way to change your habit is to change your identity. Instead of I want to be healthy, say I am a healthy person. Then, shift your mindset to what would a healthy person do today. 

Remember, every goal you set should follow the S.M.A.R.T GOAL Worksheet. Thank you, Iesha Hollins, of @Ieshaspeaks, for teaching this concept in the goal-setting class. When I say it was a game-changer when it comes to creating achievable and measurable goals…. Whew!

You can avoid abandoning your goals simply by avoiding the mistake above and following the Smart Goals concept. 

Pat yourself on the back for clicking on this post. You’ve already taken the steps to shift the trajectory of this month and the remainder of this year. Now, it’s up to you to implement it.

Grab the S.M.A.R.T Goal Setting Worksheet 

What are the strategies you use to reach your goals? 

Let’s Crush these goals!

Ebby