•
Outcome goals can be set instead of performance goals because
it forces you to focus on the end result immediately instead of
taking your time to go through the steps of goals setting.
When
you set goals properly you will be doing it in a step by step
manner. Where you are using outcome goals, and you fail to achieve
the goal for reasons outside your control, this can be very dispiriting
and can lead to loss of enthusiasm and feelings of failure.
Always set performance goals instead as this will give you a higher
chance of succeeding.
•
Goals can be set unrealistically high. When a goal is perceived
to be unreachable, no effort will be made to achieve it. Set realistic
goals so that you can best decide how to go about achieving them.
•
In retrospect to the above, goals can be set so low that you feel
no challenge of benefit in achieving the goal. Setting goals has
been a waste of time. Always set goals that are challenging enough
to be worth the effort, but not out of reach.
•
Goals can be so vague that they are useless. It is difficult to
know whether vague goals have been achieved. If achievement can’t
be measured against your expectations, then your self-confidence
will not benefit from goal setting, nor can you observe progress
towards a greater goal. Set precise and quantitative goals.
•
Goal setting can be unsystematic, sporadic and disorganized. In
this case certain goals will be forgotten, and the achievement
of goals will not be measured and feedback will not occur into
new goals. The major benefits of goal setting have been lost.
Be organized and regular in the way that you use goal setting.
•
Too many goals that aren’t given priority may be set, leading
to a feeling of overload. Remember that you deserve time to relax
and enjoy being alive and not solely focused on your goals and
achievements.
With
goal failure, not only are the benefits of goal setting lost, but
the whole process of goal setting can fall into disrepute.
By
avoiding these problems, and setting goals effectively as described
in the previous section, you can achieve and maintain a strong forward
leap into your future thus avoiding the trap of goal failure.