How to Recognize Bad Goals
Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.
Tony Robbins
Goals are good. They help you develop a plan to achieve your dreams. They can give you hope for your vision. They give you something to aim for. They also hold you accountable to your actions.
We have all learned that there is a science behind setting goals. I believe that setting and sticking to your goals is very good. However, setting goals can have disadvantages as well.
We’ll look at different signs that point towards bad goals, and we will explore some other areas of bad goal setting.
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How to Recognize Bad Goals
Have you created goals for yourself?
Where did they come from? How did you decide those were your goals? Are you confident in your path towards those goals?
There are a few different signs that point towards bad goals. Let’s begin to figure out how to recognize bad goals.
Signs of Bad Goals
- “Borrowed” from someone else
- “Set” by someone else
- Is not a SMART goal
- Time frame is too short
- Goals are not specific enough
Let’s take a look at each of these categories so we can see how each of these areas can be harmful rather than helpful.
Related: Your Biggest Goal Setting Mistake
Don’t Borrow Goals from Others
There are just some things you cannot borrow from others – relationships, character, personalities, skills, etc. Another one of those things are goals.
This is where you need to ask yourself, ‘where did I come up with the goals that I have?’
Maybe you heard someone talking about their own personal goals and you thought they were a good idea. Or maybe you saw a friend, family member, or coworker who is just crushing it. So you decided to use the goals they have set for themselves as your own.
If you “borrow” goals from someone else, you will not have the emotional attachment to achieving those goals. Everyone sets goals for their own personal reasons, and if you take goals from someone else, you will not have the same reasons as them.
You are made uniquely by God for a specific purpose – everyone’s purpose is not the same. Therefore, our goals will not be the same.
Don’t Let Others Set Goals for You
It is very common for the people around you to influence the goals that you set for yourself. However, it is not always beneficial for people to direct your goals completely.
Your coworker is really unhappy working at the company you two are both employed at. They decide to set the goal of finding a new job by the end of the year. Your coworker then tries to get you to do the same thing. However, you don’t mind working for this company and don’t understand their discontent.
If you’re happy doing your job, do your job and enjoy it. Don’t let anyone make you feel less than because they’re miserable at their job. And don’t let them convince you that your goals should be the same as theirs.
It is up to you to figure out the appropriate goals for your own circumstances.
Are Your Goals SMART?
This is one of the easiest ways to understand how to recognize bad goals.
What are SMART goals?
Smart is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based.
Take out the goals you have created for yourself and compare them to the SMART acronym. Ask yourself these questions about each goal:
Is my goal specific? Or is it broad?
Can my goal be measured? How will I know once I have achieved my goal?
Is my goal truly achievable? Or is it more a shot in the dark?
Is my goal relevant? Is it based on current conditions?
Do I have a deadline for my goal?
If any of your goals do not line up with the SMART acronym, you may want to work on adjusting them to fit into it.
I urge you to take a serious look into your goals and see if they fall into any of these categories. If they do, you should reevaluate and figure out if these are healthy goals to pursue.
Related: 5 Biblical Tips On How to Achieve Your Goals
Other Goal Setting Issues
Your goals themselves might not be the issue. In fact, maybe you have some really great goals, but you suffer from other goal mistakes.
Other Goal Setting Mistakes
- Changing goals often
- Setting too many goals
- Forgetting to review progress
- Not allowing for forgiveness
Changing Goals Often
I suffer from Shiny Object Syndrome (SOS). What is SOS? It is when you get distracted by new and shiny objects. In my case, it is not only when I find something that is literally shiny, but also when I hear about something for the first time and decide I want that now…
This applies to goal setting and typically goes along with the bad goal setting technique of “borrowing others’ goals.” We see and like what someone else is doing then switch our own path to try to achieve their goals.
When setting goals, it is crucial that you stick to them. If you are constantly changing your goals it will be very difficult to follow through with them.
Related: Tips to Set Yourself Up For Success in the New Year
Too Many To Handle
Our bodies are made up of 60% water. We need water to survive, and drinking plenty of water is good for us. However, too much of a good thing is bad. If we have too much water we can actually drown.
As we established before, goals are good. We need goals to help us stay engaged with our daily tasks. However, too much of this good thing can drown us too. Do not overwhelm yourself with too many goals.
There is no set number of goals that you can have at a time. You must come up with it yourself. But stay alert to when you feel overwhelmed by all that you need to accomplish.
Try to balance your goals out to different aspects of your life. Career, relationships, health, finances, personal, etc.
Not Reviewing Goal Progress
Okay, so you’ve set some goals now what? I highly recommend planning a specific time to sit down and review the progress you have made towards achieving your goals.
It is one thing to set goals, but if you are not measuring your progress, you won’t know when you have achieved the goal.
Review your goal often see if you are on track towards achieving it by your accomplish date.
I personally schedule a time once a month to review my goals with my husband. It helps us stay on track and not abandon the goals we deemed important at one point. It also gives us the chance to adjust them if needed.
Forgive, Learn, and Move Forward
Have you set goals that you never accomplished? I would be pretty surprised if that answer was a no! Most of us have set goals at some point that we did not achieve. This is normal!
There is no need to be ashamed or embarrassed if you did not accomplish the goals you set for yourself. Instead of dwelling on the fact that you did not realize your goals, take a closer look at them to figure out why you didn’t do so.
Was the timeline too short? Was the goal not realistic? Did circumstances change and the goal become irrelevant?
Learn from this small failure, and figure out what you can do differently next time around.
Again, goals are important. They are not the end all be all though. Use them to help you stay accountable to your distinct calling. Review your goals before, during, and after you have set them. Make sure they align with who you are, and what you are called to. Assess them often to ensure you are on the right path. And then look them over when you are done, and see what worked and what didn’t.
Side-Effects of Bad Goals
As mentioned earlier, goals are good. However, if your goals fall into these categories of not being good, there will be negative results from even setting these goals.
That is why it is important to understand how to recognize bad goals.
Bad goals can leave harmful side effects.
- Frustration
- Stress
- Lack of Sleep
- Lack of Focus
Your goals may overwhelm you rather than give you the energy you need to accomplish everything you have dreamed of!
Make a Change Today!
Goals are good to have, but make sure they are good for you specifically. The last thing you want is for your goals to overwhelm you or stress you out.
Your goals should help motivate you to get out of bed every morning and do the thing that God has called you to!
But if your goals fit into any of these 3 categories, they may do the opposite for you. No need to panic! You can make the change now or at any point.
Blog Article Spotlight
If you’re looking to ditch goal setting altogether, here is a great article for you!
Don’t Make New Year’s Resolutions – Do This Instead
What other goal setting tips do you have? How do you recognize bad goals? Share in the comments below.
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Love all of this tips. The one that always gets me is tracking my progress. I am very goal oriented but when I’m not tracking my goals nothing really happens. When I do track my goals and keep them close in mind I can often blow through them. Maybe that means I should set better goals?
I think that’s another goal setting mistake, setting goals that are either too easy or too hard to achieve. You really want goldilocks goals in the sweet spot.
That’s a good point. Goals that challenge you and help you grow are by far the best. In fact, that is really what goal setting is all about!
I’m the same way with tracking goals. If I don’t come back to them often I forget about them. My husband and I are trying a new thing this year – we scheduled out all of our “goal review days” on our calendar. Hopefully that helps!