5 Goal-setting mistakes to avoid

5 Mistakes everyone makes when goal-setting

As the New Year approaches your focus undoubtedly will be about making your 2018 the best year ever. And, whilst statistics show a relatively bleak view of failed resolutions and unachieved goals, I thought I’d write a little something to help you out. Here is my quick guide to the five mistakes everyone makes when it comes to New Years Resolutions and goal-setting..... 

Mistake 1 - Don’t be too hard on yourself

Don’t be too hard on yourself when getting started with your goal. You need to adopt a learners mindset, otherwise, you will fail before you have even tried. This learner mindset is the exact approach we use with babies as they learn to crawl and eventually walk. They will have many attempts before getting it right. So, whether you are reducing the amount you’re smoking, looking for a new job or eating healthier, give yourself more time than you think, allow yourself to fall flat on your face, get back up, dust yourself up, encourage yourself to try and again and get going. Allow yourself many attempts to fail and praise yourself when you make a change. Parent yourself and allow yourself to move from imperfect action into forming your new way of life

Mistake 2 - ‘Don’t make ’too far into the future’ goals

If your goal is an overwhelming one, for example, to lose six stone in a year, then congratulations! The problem with it being such a long-term goal is that it requires constant commitment. Your everyday struggles may get in the way as your motivation struggles to keep up with the length of time it will take to achieve. However, if you chuck your yearly goal into smaller manageable goals you will feel more accountable to your everyday actions. It’s in these little changes that we make consistently every day that big changes are made. So in this example, by changing a long-term goal into a short-term goal we will be more accountable. 

6 Stone in 365 days becomes…

84lbs in 52 weeks which becomes…

1.6lbs of weight to lose each week to stay on track and achieve six stone in a year - totally doable! 

Mistake 3 - Don’t believe that change is only for other people 

You’ve made numerous resolutions and never kept them so why should this year be any different? Well, we human beings are in a constant flux of growth and change. Don’t sell yourself short. Just because the you of 2006 didn’t stop smoking, doesn’t mean the you of 2018 won’t. There are always new resources, new information and technology to make your life easier that wasn’t available back when you tried before. Keep going. You’re worth the effort and this year may just be the year that you make it happen. 

Mistake 4 - Don’t listen to other people

Not everyone wants you to succeed. I know this can be a hard pill to swallow but some people may not agree with the changes you want to make and will inadvertently thwart them. It isn’t because they have a Draco Malfoy nasty streak, it’s because they subconsciously believe that if you change then they will no longer be loved by you. For example, If you want to lose weight but your partner is completely happy eating fast food every day then you will have a conflict of interest. After all, your partner may see this as a judgement of the way he/she eats rather than believing it’s because you want to be healthy. Be strong in your convictions that your goal is the right thing for you and that their negativity is from a place of fear. Don’t let somebody else’s fear affect your ability to make positive changes for the better.  

Mistake 5 - Don’t do it alone

There are oodles of support out there for you to get involved in, so, don’t do this alone. From signing up to a slimming class, joining a relevant support group, being visible in an online forum, nabbing an accountability buddy or better still, getting yourself a life coach (yes, I know, would say that) to help you through. You don’t have to do this alone, we life coaches have got you covered if it all gets too much. The fitter, healthier, happier and more successful you is just a life coaching session away. Make this the year you finally do the walking instead of all the talking. 

Happy New Year! All the best with your goal-setting and resolutions. 

You can do this!

Michelle Thole