Comments on: Avoiding Some Dangers of Goal Setting

By: Nathalie Lussier

Nathalie Lussier — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:56:08 +0000

@Karl: I like your idea of releasing the grip of your feelings. Being too hard on ourselves is not worth it, I mean we’re not superhumans.

By: Karl Staib - Work Happy Now

Karl Staib - Work Happy Now — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:47:57 +0000

I’ve been guilty of being too hard on myself. I’ve learned to treat my anger and frustration as a friend that just trying to tell me something – calm down. When I take the time to actually listen to my feelings, they release their grip and I can tackle the problem.

By: Nathalie Lussier

Nathalie Lussier — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:11:52 +0000

@G: I love your elevator analogy! What a great way to explain it. Besides, taking the stairs is better for your muscles.

By: G.

G. — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:54:20 +0000

Those are definitly on target warning signs of unsuitable goals. This could even go beyond goals and help people decide on something like a career path or their life’s “calling”. But choosing a reasonable goal is definitly very important; better to take the slow and steady stairs to your main goal then take the elevator that has a good chance of breaking down before reaching the next floor.

By: Nathalie Lussier

Nathalie Lussier — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:26:34 +0000

@Jonathan: Thanks, I think a more level headed approach to goal setting is great for long term success. I’m glad you enjoyed the article.

By: Jonathan - Advanced Life Skills

Jonathan - Advanced Life Skills — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:50:46 +0000

I am a big fan of approaching things in a balanced, realistic, and practical way. This article meets all of those criteria. To often people let their excitement push them into biting of more than they can chew. It’s good to set your sights high, but we also need to realize that reachable, short term goals add up to major accomplishments. Good job Nathalie!

By: Nathalie Lussier

Nathalie Lussier — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:19:51 +0000

@Hayli: That’s great. It’s definitely good to have a “further away” overarching goal. It’s reaching the littler goals that makes getting there possible though.

By: Hayli @ RiseSmart

Hayli @ RiseSmart — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:05:08 +0000

Great post! I am in the midst of unreasonable goals right now, but in this particular case it is possible to reach for closer, more attainable stars as well as a few harder-to-reach ones. So I’ve at least resolved to strike a balance to avoid total mental defeat.

By: Nathalie Lussier

Nathalie Lussier — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:17:25 +0000

@Bunny: That’s so true, and really profound. When you set a goal, you’re inviting a change into your life. You’re also putting the onus on yourself to be perceptive and honest enough to see if you’re making any progress.

By: Mike King

Mike King — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:17:24 +0000

Spot on Bunny. Most people do really just scare themselves from their own goals and challenges.

By: Bunny got Blog

Bunny got Blog — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:53:04 +0000

Usually goal setting means change.Many people are afraid of that.They aren’t compelled to invite change into their lives which is sad.

Basically- You have to work on yourself as you apply the challenge in your life.

By: Mike King

Mike King — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:55:26 +0000

First, thanks Nathalie so much for the guest article!

@Armen – So true. Aggressive goals by individuals without the ability to complete them fosters nothing but failure and low self esteem.

By: Nathalie Lussier

Nathalie Lussier — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:37:07 +0000

@Armen: I’ve struggled with outrageous goals myself. I also think that things like The Secret have caused some people to set unreasonable goals. You seem to have a firm grasp on what it takes to set a good goal, so good for you.

@Glen: Thanks Glen, and I totally agree. Results are what we feed on, to reach the next peak. So building incremental goals is much better for our self-esteem and for reaching our ultimate goals.

By: Glen Allsopp

Glen Allsopp — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:15:54 +0000

I definitely think doing too much too quickly can be a huge issue, especially if you require instant results to stay motivated.

Great post Nathalie!

Cheers,
Glen

By: Armen Shirvanian

Armen Shirvanian — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:22:48 +0000

The warning signs you have pointed out are certainly ones to keep an eye on. It looks like it is becoming more understood that unreasonable goals are not able to be maintained. This may sound like a tautology, but since our minds jump to make unreasonable goals, which are set up to speed through the process, and impress ourselves and others, they are the kind of goals that we have to obviate before they are created, or else we end up with extra cognitive baggage that isn’t going anywhere.