Why Some Goals Always Seem Out of Reach?

by Brandon Thomas

Why do so many goals always seem out of reach?

Why do even the most impassioned individuals ultimately fail in achieving their goals?

The trouble often lies in unrealistic goals. If you set lofty, out of reach goals for yourself, you are more likely to be setting yourself up for failure.

Why do we set unrealistic goals for ourselves?

Many times we set unrealistic goals for ourselves because we let ourselves be guided by influence of others.

For instance, take the case of a young student who dreams of studying art history. Perhaps he or she has a passion for art, but the young student is pressured to study law or medicine instead.

This individual will probably have a hard time getting a law degree, simply because he or she has set an unrealistic goal. It is unrealistic to believe that we can achieve goals that we are not passionate about.

Many times, we are simply yielding to the pressure put on us by our parents, friends, and even society at large.

Although these individuals most likely care about us very much, they may be ignorant of or simply unresponsive toward our personal ambitions, talents, and desires. If you set a goal for yourself based on the expectations of others, you are being unrealistic about your chances at success.

Truly successful individuals know that success lies in doing what you are passionate about, and not simply achieving some specific outcome.

Why else might some goals always seem out of reach?

Another major reason why many of us never achieve our goals is that we are not being honest with ourselves.

Perhaps we are not honest about our true desires, and we end up pursuing goals that do not represent our talents or aspirations. Before setting off on a journey of goal realization, we need to take an inventory of our true talents, desires, and ambitions. What is it you really want from life? Make your goals fall in line with your real desires. Anything less will probably result in failure.

Many people also fail to achieve their goals because they are not honest about their talents.

We are not honest about what we can truly achieve. For instance, if your goal is to lose weight, don't set a target weight of 125 pounds if you have never been this weight in your life. Most likely, you will be setting yourself up for failure if you set your aims too high. Be realistic about what you can achieve with your inherent talents and resources.

Another reason why some goals always seem out of reach is for lack of information.

Many times, people pursue their goals without sufficient information to achieve success. You must have a clear understanding of your goal in order to be successful. If you chase after something you don't understand, chances are you will have a difficult and frustrating time.

Gather as much information as you can about your goal in order to take a realistic approach to the goal realization process. Make sure you have the knowledge and skills to attain your goals. If you're not sure, take the time to research what reaching your goal entails.

Another reason why many goals seem to be out of reach is an unrealistic view of your performance.

Take the example of the person who dreams of writing the great American novel. Perhaps this individual estimates that they can finish a chapter a month, and calculate that the novel should be finished after a full year. This estimation concludes that they will always be performing in their best, most efficient form. In reality, every person will come upon a series of obstacles before obtaining their goal.

Be realistic about what you can and can't accomplish. Don't expect to always perform at your peak performance. Rather, give yourself leeway. You will probably come upon more than one obstacle, so it's smart to plan accordingly.

An important component of successful goal realization involves flexibility.

Your circumstances will probably change during the course of the goal realization process. Be prepared to redefine your goals. Those who remain rigid and unyielding in their aims are more vulnerable to experience disappointment. If you remain aware and even open to change, you will experience fewer roadblocks on the road to success.

Enthusiastically endorsed as "The Breakthrough" goal setting method...

Click here for more information »

| E-mail This Article to a Friend

Read more Goal Setting Articles »

Popular Books on Goal Setting »