Your goals are too long.
Not too big, but too long.
If you are setting deadlines a year away, that’s not achievable.
It’s too far away to be real, and too far for you to act on it.
Maybe it’s time to set shorter goals.
When Is a Goal Too Long?
You are going to write that book this year. Just like you said you were going to do last year.
Or you say you are going to lose 20 pounds by the holidays. Yet, you haven’t been to the gym in months.
One of the main issues with year-long goals is that they are too far away.
Too far away to see. Too far to be real. And too far for you to have urgency to act on them today.
“Stop saying that this will be your year. Instead, make it your month. Or even your week.” (Tweet this Quote)
In short, your goal increments are too big.
Make Your Goals Even Shorter
A year away is simply too long to act on.
A month is better. Or even a week.
Of course, the progression is to make your goals even shorter.
Get it down to today.
“What will you do today to move yourself towards your goals?”
Do the same tomorrow and each day after that.
That is how big goals are done. On a day-to-day basis.
Bit by bit. Step by step. It doesn’t sound grand and it isn’t.
Even the biggest of goals must be done in many small increments.
Goals Too Far to See
Trying to make personal goals a year from now is like trying to predict the weather at that time. It’s not going to happen.
Life happens. Circumstances change. And you must adapt and adjust your goals along the way.
Make your goals short. Make them achievable. And of course, make them happen today.
Question: How can you shorten your goals to make them more achievable? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Thank you! Brilliant post and I love your brevity also. I’ve learnt (the hard way) to set goals on a day to day basis (Note: not daily goals but day-to-day goals) which mean I had to eat the elephant (long goal) bite by bite.
I’m happy to say I’ve eaten many elephants using that strategy — it always works.
Pooja x
http://www.pickyourgoals.com
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I find that I need both–annual and weekly/daily goals. I review the annual (or 90-day) goals every week, then set a plan of action for the next 5 days.
Manageability. Short term objectives that we can see, grasp and conquer. Otherwise, we’re just setting up new procrastination points (dreams?). Good post, thanks Craig.
Love the post. It reminds me of Parkinson’s law. If you give yourself too much time to do something, your work will expand to fill it. What could be done in 5 days, took you 10 just because that is what your goal was.