Did you achieve all your goals this year? I didn’t.

Did you achieve all of your goals this year? I didn’t. I didn’t achieve all of my personal goals or all of my professional goals. In January, I set out with all kinds of hope for the year, strategies to get things done, and excitement for the future. And then, like most years, life got in the way, I got tired, etc. I was still able to complete SOME goals, just not all of them.

Here’s why I failed:

1. I had too many goals.

Looking back, I set way too many goals for the year. I don’t have the particular notebook I wrote them in with me now, but I think there was around 10 goals I wanted to hit. I think I had some idea like “I’ll hit a goal every month, taking November and December off for the holidays.” It sounds silly looking back, but I do believe that was the plan.

2.   I procrastinated too much.

There were some goals I had that I just didn’t start on. Or barely started on. I just kept pushing it back and thinking “I’ll get to it,” knowing I never would.

3.   I changed some

There were a few goals that I just needed to change. They were too big to accomplish at the same time.

Here’s how I’m going to do better this year:

1. I’m setting fewer goals

Since I had too many goals last year, I’m setting fewer this year. Jon Acuff talks about doing this in his book Finish. Acuff recommends cutting your goals in half.

For instance: If you’re a worship leader and you’re wanting to record a 10 song record for your church this year, try starting with a 4 or 5 song EP. It’s an easier goal to attain. And you can always work your way up to a full length album.

2.  I’m setting goals I actually want to complete

Part of the reason I procrastinated goals was they were things I didn’t actually care to do. Acuff talks about this too. He writes, "Make sure that what you're chasing is actually what you want to catch." Set goals that are worth setting! Set goals that will take you somewhere.

The goals I completed this year were goals I actually wanted to achieve. They were the exciting ones! 

3. I’m being more realistic with my schedule

It’s okay to change goals. Maybe that shouldn’t have been in the failure column above, but I had several that I changed, so I do think I needed to learn something. The lesson for me was to be more aware of my capabilities. And more aware of how much time I have to complete certain goals. Two or three big projects may be too many big projects. That’s okay. You don’t have to do everything right now.

If you failed to complete all your goals this year, don’t fret. There’s always next year. And it’s coming fast! Hopefully you learned from your mistakes and maybe you can learn something from mine too. Next year try doing something different in your goal setting. See how it changes your results!

If you’re interested in a great book about goal setting and finishing I highly recommend you check out Finish by Jon Acuff. It’s a funny, insightful, and easy read that will definitely help you succeed in the comming year!

What are you doing differently in the year? What goals do you have? We’d love to know!