11 mistakes you're about to make when setting goals for 2019 — Save the year & read this first

Crafting your goals for the coming year is one of the most powerful tools you could ever use to shape your destiny. But how come so many of us never get to see them come to reality? How come it just isn't as powerful for all of us?

To make things even worse, here's a scary figure: 80% of new years resolutions fail by February.

This is a guide that will help you be part of the mere 20% that make it.

You're about to notice the things that have been keeping you back from unleashing your full potential. Rock your goals this year.

Let's make this one epic, shall we?

Mistake #1. Not writing your goals

Did you know that you're 40% more likely to commit to your goals if you put them on paper? Why do you think that is?

The mere act of writing down a thought makes your brain have to translate a complex wish into an actionable plan. This is how that works:

Dream — Goal — Plan — Outcome

More so, you're more likely to discover your goal setting mistakes once you have your goals laid down in front of you. So do it.

It will make a huge difference, I promise.

Mistake #2. Not knowing your why

I see this all the time: people setting goals they just borrow from someone else because they sound cool. That won't do.

You need to know precisely why it is you want the things you want.

Setting goals is the most intimate, personal and unique process possible. Your dreams are your dreams. If they're not, they won't make sense enough for you to really pursue.

Make sure you truly resonate with the things you write down. They have to answer a burning need only you and nobody else can feel.

Missing a clear purpose is the #1 factor of unsustainable goals.

Learning French would be fabulous, but if you really have no interest in France, the french people or their culture, nor is it relevant to your life in any other way, then this goal just isn't relevant.

Goal setting isn't about what we'd like to brag about. It's about who we want to become and what we want our lives to feel like.

So make it clear what it is you're really after. Otherwise, you'll get stuck when things get though. Or worse, you'll get stuck before you even started. And for what?

Losing your self esteem for a goal not worth pursuing isn't a deal you're going to make any longer.

"When you crave the end result, the hard work becomes irrelevant.” — Tim Grover

Mistake #3. Writing in a crappy mood

Mediocre is crappy too.

In order to really get in the flow of writing down compelling, relevant and irresistible goals, you have to be in your best state. To feel empowered and alive.

So don't just do it when you're tired, bored or upset. I don't want you to scribble a few pathetic goals just to get it over with.

First, get moving. Get your blood pumping. Get yourself to feel like you're strong, curious and willing to accept challenges. Think of the things you're grateful for — it will skyrocket your happiness levels.

Just do a few things you know will trigger some strong positive emotions. It doesn't matter if it's doing some cardio, listening to an epic inspirational video or having some sexy time underneath the sheets, as long as it works for you.

Then, think of it this way. If you would have a presentation in front of the most influential, powerful and relevant person there is in your field, wouldn't you prepare before trying to persuade him to accept your deal?

Well, the most important person there's ever gonna be in your life, is you. So take this seriously. Get prepared. You will need to convince yourself to fight your inner battles and get some momentum. And that ain't easy.

Your state determines the way you’ll feel about your goals. The way you feel about your goals will determine how you’ll take action. Your action will determine your outcome. So it all starts with an emotion.

Get in a peek state.

Mistake #4. Having way too many goals

“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Go ahead. Write down your goal list. Make them juicy, vivid, burning. Then, when you're all done. Ask yourself: If I were only able to achieve 3 goals this entire year, what would they be?

You'll either pull out the ones that matter most to you from the batch you just wrote down or you'll figure out how to chunk a few together to create a more complex goal with the same outcome.

Sometimes, you start the list from scratch, but that's fine. You're doing the work and it will pay off.

The only way you could mess this step up is by choosing the ones that seem the easiest to handle. That's a good sign, they're really not that important.

A truly relevant goal is the one that gives you a strong feeling of fear and excitement. Those are the clues you’re looking for.

Jim Collins was right when he said “If you have more than three priorities, then you don’t have any”, so keep this in mind.

Goals are ultimately the way you want to push your life forward, aren't they?

If you don't act on the most important things, then you'll just end up doing many small, unimportant things that will only distract you from what you truly desire. Prioritising is a huge part of this process.

Ideally, you're list won't be longer than 10 amazing goals. But you will be able to point out 3 of them as non negotiable goals to fulfil by the end of 2018!

Mistake #5. Focusing on a single piece of the pie

Not setting goals for different areas of your life is probably one of the worst mistakes you can make on the long term.

If you direct all your attention to your career, you'll likely lose sight of your health or relationships. You don't want that, trust me.

What you do want is balance. Aim for it.

There’s nothing worse than being successful in reaching your goals — yet being totally depressed once your there, agreed?

Unless you're some kind of a robot, chances are, you won't feel fulfilled if you lose sight of any of the major areas of your life in favour of just one thing, no matter how important that one thing may seem right now.

How to avoid this? It really isn't that hard:

1. Cut the pie into pieces. Divide your life into a few big areas.
2. Write down one goal for each area of your life.

Mistake #6. Not being specific about what you want

The risk? It can be one of two things:

• Crafting unmeasurable goals and having no idea when or if you've accomplished them.
• Realising somewhere along the road that their outcome is not what you’re actually out for. Auch.

Remember that saying: be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. Don't be cheap with your words.

Add the details that make or break a goal.

Compare these:

Work out more in 2018 vs. Find a work out routine that I can truly enjoy and do every single day of this year.

Eat healthier vs. Learn to cook 50 different healthy meals that taste phenomenal and add them to my lifestyle.

Besides, doing things right will feel like a burden if you don't set the scene for them to be enjoyable. Think of the benefits of what you're setting out to do, not the work load. Be a marketer of your own vision.

Mistake #7. Having absolutely boring goals

Goal setting is powerful stuff and it's quite a strategic and analytical process, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be fun. Actually, the more intense, vivid and emotional the goal itself sounds, the more likely you are to go through in pursuing it.

Have you ever noticed how people just dim down their creativity when it comes to naming their goals? I believe this is one of the reasons they never make it.

Most people try to point out the shortest formula that fits the things they want, but not you, you know that's counterintuitive.

You don't have to make a sentence as short as possible for everyone to understand, but rather use as many props you need to make it compelling and seductive for yourself.

You should make your goals sound sexy, fun and worth wile.

Go for things like: Create a body that would make superman look bad, instead of a dry: Get more toned.

You know what I mean?

Mistake #8. Creating goals you can’t possibly control

Setting yourself up for disappointment is not okay. You need to let go of the things that are out of your control once and for all.

But wait! Don't use this as an excuse to not follow through what you plan, but rather to understand what you can do to shake your world the following year.

You can't control things like nature, the economy or ( most importantly ) other people. Commit to the goals that are within your ability.

Then, make sure they're smart. Here's what I mean by that,

SMART goals are:

• specific
• measureable
• attainable
• relevant
• time-bound

Crafting a list of SMART goals will make you the king of your castel, the star of your show. You need this. You need to be your own hero.

Mistake #9. Being all about work and no play

Most of the time, we think of goals that will boost our careers, get us wealth, carve our abs or improve our network. Well, that's all great, but where's the adventure, fun and connection in this picture?

Unlike #8, this time it's about the vision itself, not the way you say it.

Set goals that will bring awe, wonder, thrill, love and fun in your life.

Enjoying yourself, laughing and making memories are things worth prioritising. Otherwise, you'll just get less of them as the years go by.

Set travel goals, quests or habits to pursue with someone you love. Make it a habit to check at least one thing off your bucket list every year.

Fun may not be your #1 priority, but would you live a life without it?

I certainly wouldn't. So why wound't you plan out some time for it too?

Mistake #10. Focusing on having instead of becoming

You can always start a diet, but what will create lasting change is the knowledge you gather about nutrition. Once you know enough, you won't want to have cheat days anymore.

If you learn to be the person you need to in order to make things stick, taking action will be 99% easier.

Check your list right now. Are the goals you set about things you want to have? Or skills you want to attain? Do they make you a better person by simply pursuing them?

“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom” — Jim Rohn

Mistake #11. Not keeping them in plain sight

Now tell me, why are you hiding your goals like you're ashamed of them?

I know the answers. Seeing them daily makes them too real.

Once you have to face them, you have to acknowledge that you're not making everything you can in order to make them happen. And that hurts your ego.

Having them in plain sight makes you accountable. It also means somebody else may see them. Scary, huh?

They'll know if you're consistent or not with the things you want and they will judge you for it. But that's actually a good thing.

Being accountable to yourself is powerful, but being accountable to someone else is massive. Being accountable to the whole freaking world is the one and only thing that will make the strongest shift for you. Use this. Ask the world to be ready for your glory. Everyone loves a good old hero story, so start taking the lead.

The point is, you should definitely make sure you get to feel the need of pursuing your goals on a daily basis. You need to keep reminding yourself of the reasons behind your every action.

Frame them and hang them over your bed, save them as your passwords, add them to your desktop, scribble them in your wallet — whatever, just have them follow you all the time.

Then again, isn’t it great that you set out to be a better person, have a fuller life, an epic year? Be sure to tell literally everyone about them too.

Because you will push through. You will make them happen.

Now you know how.

Conclusion

Goal setting is both a science and an art. Like anything really important in life, they're not supposed to be easy.

“You must want to be a butterfly so badly, you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.” — Anais Nin

In order to have the things you’ve never had, you must be willing to do the things you’ve never done. If you know what you truly want, then it will be worth every sweat or tear.

You’re going to make sure of that by keeping an eye on what you’ve just read today. You’re going to have the strongest goals. Then, the pathway to them will reveal itself. Always start with why, because the how will follow.

You will have the best year ever. Make it a promise to yourself.

Call to Action

Send this article to someone that you care about. Giving a good dose of inspiration or practicle insight is what we all need, so why keep it to yourself?

Look, I'm trying to help you out craft your best year yet. But putting everything aside, at the end of the day, the most fulfilling thing you can do is really give a hand to someone who needs it. I hope this article will be that hand for you. But you too can lend a hand. You can trigger that change. So give that spark and craft goals that will impact not only you, but your entire world.

Good luck.

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Find more of my writing over on my website, Dyrogue.com

x Diana

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