CA074: Why people don't like goals (and are they right?)

“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” ~ Melody Beattie

Welcome to the first post and podcast episode of 2016. If you're reading this in real time - a very Happy New Year to you.

In our last episode (73) we asked ‘What are you proud of today?’ We talked about things we were pleased about, and how all too often we focus on what's going wrong or the things we don't like about ourselves.

It doesn’t matter you’re reading this at New Year or not – but one of the great things about New Year is it represents a cut-off point in time. A natural opportunity to re-evaluate what you’re doing and think about what you want to achieve in the year or months or weeks ahead.

It’s a fantastic chance to move on with the new. And one of the fantastic things about life is there’s always an opportunity to start something new - a new way of thinking and a new way of doing things. We all have the potential to change things, which is of course the basis of the Changeability Podcast.

Setting goals is a great way to start thinking about the new and what you want to achieve. But if that’s the case, why doesn’t everyone do it? Indeed, as you’re reading this you might be thinking you don't much like the idea of goals. If so you’re not alone, because many people never set goals because they don’t know what they are or how to do it, or they don't like the idea of them.

Episode 74 of the Changeability Podcast

That being the case, in episode 74 of the Changeability Podcast we ask why people don’t like goals – and are they right?

We think about the reasons why people don't like goals and suggest answers including:

• Why people don't like goals, or think they don't help us get what we want or make the changes we want.
• Alternative ways to think about goals to overcome negativity about them.
• The unhelpful link between work goals, objectives, targets and performance reviews.
• Imposition versus ownership.
• What can psychologically hold us back from really embracing the concept of goal setting.
• The power of language and reframing the language of goals.
• Think themes rather than goals.
• Will your goals restrict you and narrow your focus?
• How goals lead to freedom and productivity.
• Staying curious and setting your goals.
• Why goals are not just about facts and figures.
• When goals don’t matter.
• Will goals make you feel like a failure?
• Why goal setting is part of a continuum and process.
• Can goals make you unhappy?
• The need for clarity about the ends and means of your goals.

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default." ~ JK Rowling

If you want to achieve your goals, it starts with setting goals that work.

Find out about our new course on how to set goals for success in life and business at BrilliantLivingHQ.com/goals

We look forward to hearing from you and are excited to see what's going to happen for you and all of us in the coming months and year.