We set goals all the time; every week, every day and sometimes hourly.  In fact, we set goals so often, they almost don’t even register on our radar as taking place.  As such, what may start out as a legitimate goal may end up in the “Intentions” pile.  They become a passing flight of fancy rather than the manifested reality they were born to be.  I’ve often wondered why this is so.

My best guess is that we, as a society, have relegated the ritual of conscious and meaningful goal-setting to only one night a year.  Often these goals are too big or too complex to sustain.  But I have found that the rift between the articulation of a goal and the achievement of it has much deeper roots.

Over the past few years, I have been facilitating in-person and telephone workshops on the subject of goal-setting and have come to realize that most people fail to achieve their goals because the goals they set are incongruent with who they are.

If the outcome of the goal does not reflect who you are on the deepest levels, namely your values, then you will lack the sufficient motivation to take the necessary actions required to achieve it.  It’s that simple.

If you value independence, spontaneity and creativity you will most likely be more motivated toward establishing your own practice, rather than pursuing employment in a hospital setting that is highly regimented.

The process of identifying & clarifying your values is so crucial to effective goal-setting that in my workshops the first third of the class is devoted to it.  Skip this step and you run the risk of failure or frustration.

Have a Happy Fourth of July everyone.  Be safe.