7 Reasons Why People Don’t Set Goals

We have seen that goal setting are automatic characteristic of human and have also considered the benefits of goal setting, why is it then that most people don’t set clear, written, measurable and time bounded goals? We will discuss seven reasons why this is so.

Some people don’t set goals because they are simply not serious. They only talk and are not doers of what they say. They may have intentions, hopes, wishes or even prayers but these do not count, only the action they take counts. They want to improve their lives, they want to be more successful but they are not willing to make the necessary effort. One person who will take action is worth ten brilliant talkers who do nothing.
Another why some people don’t set goals is that they have not yet accepted responsibility for their lives. The irresponsible person is the person who is still waiting for real life to begin. Such a person gives different excuses for his failures instead of taking responsibility. He is always out in search of shortcut to everything. He expends his energy on irrelevant things that do not contribute to his progress.
Some people have some deep-seated feeling of guilt and unworthiness and this has prevented them from setting goals for their lives. Such a person has low self-esteem and is deficient mentally and emotionally. This may be due to upbringing in a negative environment or developing a feeling or attitude of “what’s the use?” or “I’m not good enough”.
A person who does not realise the importance of gaols will not set goals. If a person grows in a home where no one has goals or even socializes with a group where goals is neither discussed nor valued, he can easily reach adulthood without knowing that his ability to set and achieve goals will have more of an effect on his life than any other skill. If people realized how important goals are to a happy successful life then more people would have goals than do today.
Some people set goals because they don’t know how. Many people think that they have goals whereas what they actually have is a series of wishes or dreams. These are not goals rather they are merely fantasies that are common to everyone. A goal is distinctively different from a wish because it is clear, written, and specific. It can be quickly and easily described to another person. You can measure it and you know when you have achieved it. It is quite possible that in the whole of your education, you may not have been instructed in goal setting. The good news is that you can find a truck load of resources on goal setting.
Fear of rejection or fear of criticism is responsible for some people not setting goals. People are afraid that if they set a goal and are not successful, others will criticise or ridicule them. As a result they decide not set goals. To overcome this you should keep your goals confidential to yourself. If people don’t know your goals they cannot laugh at you even if you fail. However, you may share your goals with those that may help you in achieving them especially goal oriented people.
The most prominent reason why people do not set goals is the fear of failure. They discover that fear hurts and tried to be careful so that they don’t fail as a result they do not set goals. What they also fail to understand is that it is impossible to succeed without failing. You can learn to overcome fear of failure by being absolutely clear about your goals, and by accepting that temporary setbacks and obstacle are inevitable price you pay to achieve any great success in life.

There may be more reasons why people refuse to set goals. If you can overcome these above then you can go ahead and set your goals firmly resolved in your mind to achieve them.