Five Goal Pitfalls and How to Prevent Them

By: Laurie A. Sheppard
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:39:55
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Are there pitfalls in your approach to get your goals met? Maybe it’s time you squarely face what gets in the way and do the opposite. Here are the five most common goal pitfalls. You can make needed corrections, or pat yourself on the back if you manage these pitfalls in your life planning.

* Pitfall #1—Worry Over Time
Instead of worrying about not being where you’d like to be, accept where you are. Whether you like being where you are or not, the acceptance of it is crucial to assess what is important next for your life. Let those answers guide your choices and your planning phase. Don’t live life making up for “lost time” to finish unimportant projects, or allow your attention to be diverted to whatever comes up next. Ask yourself what is most important and work toward those goals.

* Pitfall #2—Compare Your Progress With Others
Is your approach to goals from a mindset of shoulds or comparisons, rather than a heartfelt place of what fits your deep interests? If so, it’s time you stop that self-sabotaging behavior. Review your recent accomplishments to keep you present and in touch with your values, not someone else’s. A sure way to correct comparative behavior is to ask yourself if you want the whole package of those you envy—you’d rarely agree to the tradeoffs.

* Pitfall #3—No Clear Direction
People often approach their future as if they were adding squares to a quilt one patch at a time, but not knowing if each piece fits an overall theme. Fully visualize the future you’d like so you have a congruency in each aspect of your work and a clear direction it’s building towards. Be sure to include what you may have to give up or change to get there. Your mind’s camera will reveal a picture that either inspires you, or will cause you to move on to something you feel is worth the effort.

* Pitfall #4—Take Too Long to Complete Goals
Chances are you’re juggling too many goals. Start with the most important goal and order the rest behind it. Revisit your goals list regularly, as your interests may have shifted or you’ve completed a goal and now need to reprioritize your list. Don’t wait until you have completed a goal before you plan the next one. Work on correlate objectives to move goals along, i.e. write a report and prepare your speech outline on the same subject, since they are two related goals you could tackle together.

* Pitfall #5—Trouble Staying Focused and on Task
You are likely unpracticed in the following areas that successful, consistent achievers excel in. They a) commit outright for the duration of a project, (b) make clear choices, (c) narrow their project’s scope, (d) say no as needed to other projects or activities and (e) stay intent on accomplishing each activity till their task is completed. Through these, along with step-by-step planning, prioritizing and timely initiation, your actions will be productive. You will be able to eliminate distractions, and stay on course. Be wise—add in trustworthy support from someone who will hold you accountable to action steps that meet your objectives.

Turn your pitfalls into springboards by doing their opposite and you will launch a successful strategy for a winning goal performance.

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Laurie A. Sheppard: 12-year master certified Life Coach and Career Strategist to mid-level professionals and small business entrepreneurs who want to make quality career and personal changes. Laurie is author of the double-audiotape, “The 3 C’s for Effective Living: Change, Creativity and Communication” and eBook, “Achieving Selfhood Through Self-Esteem.” She offers complimentary coaching sessions, giveaways and numerous resources including her monthly ezine, “Change-makers’ Career Tips,” at http://www.creatingatwill.com.

You are welcome to publish this article in its entirety, electronically, or in print free of charge, as long as you include my full signature file for ezines, and my Web address in hyperlink for others sites. Please send a courtesy link or email where you publish to Laurie@CreatingAtWill.com.

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Laurie A. Sheppard, © 2006 All Rights Reserved

Laurie A. Sheppard is the coach for change. She is a master certified Life Coach and Career Strategist, author and speaker. She helps entrepreneurs and mid-level professionals manifest their career and personal goals. Her audiobook gives you the 10 foundational steps to make change easy and her self-esteem book gives you the confidence to take the actions. Laurie's free monthly ezine, ”Change-makers Career Tips” is a short, must-read, career-tips aid. http://www.creatingatwill.com

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