So you want to achieve greatness. But have you failproofed your goals?

If not you’re in trouble.

Most of us have experienced starting out with a goal, feeling all excited about it but then running into all sorts of different bumps along the road. And most of us have felt how not achieving what we initially set out to do, or getting there but being late, well, sucks.

We’d all save quite a bit of heartache, not to mention improve our productivity, if we failproofed our goals in advance.

Those bumps along the road? You can predict at least 90% of them. Don’t believe me? Just think about the last endeavor you went for that didn’t go as you expected.

Had you done your homework, in advance, like a champ? Had you thought about all the possible bumps and crafted potential solutions should each of those situations arise?

Or had you superficially thought about possible bumps in the road and then quickly jumped ahead into action, forcing yourself to “play it by ear” as those “unforeseen” situations came up?

Well that’s what I did last year. And that’s why I didn’t do well at this particular goal. The funny thing is that I thought I had failproofed, but I hadn’t really.

Please don’t do what I did. Here’s what happened to me a year ago and the lessons I’ve learned.

There you go, one more tool to help get you to your goals. You’re welcome.

P.S. No, I’m not suggesting a rigid system that is all too-well thought-out in advance. Instead, I’m advocating for preparation. There are all sorts of good reasons not to achieve a goal, but let lack of preparation not be one of them.

Follow me for more on the #ayearofhabits series.