Potential Obstacles to Reaching Your Goals

Suppose you know what you want and you are on the right track to accomplishing your goals. Without warning, you suddenly face an obstacle that blocks your progress. And then it is difficult to remain focused and energetic. If you do nothing about the obstacles that arise, they can sap your energy, your time, and your enthusiasm. Consider the following list of obstacles that could block you from accomplishing your goals:

I need to feel secure.
I may fail.
I doubt my skills.
Changing the way I do things is not easy.
I have too many things to do.

Each of these is a potential barrier you set up yourself to defeat your effort. But there are strategies for removing them, or at least for minimizing their impact. Let's consider our first obstacle.

I Need to Feel Secure

Many of us fear that, if we try something new, we may lose our sense of security. We enjoy the security of life as we know it. The irony is that this security can change at a moment's notice.

A major layoff at work, a storm that destroys your community, a personal tragedy, these events can put your security at risk and quickly alter your life. You don't have the power to control all the elements that can potentially affect you. So, a more dependable course of action is to build an internal security system within yourself. Instead of trying to grasp at an intangible security that could change momentarily, develop the coping skills that are so essential for life in a world of probable changes. Effective coping skills usually include the ability to handle stressful events, the ability to take calculated risks, and the ability to manage problems that arise. An internal security system, built through effective coping skills, will help you make reasoned choices. You will find that the fear of giving up security will diminish as an obstacle to your success.

Action to Take on Perceived Risk

There are several ways to increase your level of comfort and manage the perceived risk associated with meeting one of your goals:

1. Specify the risk you associate with the particular goal under consideration. Identify how large that risk really is. If the potential impact is low, then rational thought suggests that the risk is minimal.

2. Determine the probability of that risk occurring. Is it very likely, somewhat likely, or not very likely to occur? Unless the probability of occurrence is fairly high, your energy and time are better spent addressing higher-risk issues.

3. Identify the benefits that accrue from taking the risk and succeeding. After you determine the probability and degree of the risk, you may decide that the anticipated benefits outweigh the potential disadvantages.

4. Once you identify the probability and impact of the risk, and the benefits from pursuing the goal, there may be added advantage of seeking input from a friend or advisor.

I May Fail

When is the last time you failed at something? Was it truly a failure or were you able to learn from the situation? No one enjoys the feeling of failure, but often we are overly critical and extra-hard on ourselves. And once we feel that we have failed, we replay the incident in our mind until we view ourselves as failures instead of having one failed goal. If you fail to reach a goal, view the situation objectively. Avoid harboring negative emotions and feelings. Instead, identify what went well and what could have been done better. Identify opportunities to apply what you learned.

In trying to avoid failure, you may miss the adventure of personal growth, the fun of meeting a new challenge, or the excitement of living for those things in which you believe. Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Edison are examples of men who took risks and "failed" many times to reach their goals.

They used their failures as learning experiences, and were not deterred from continuing to set goals. Instead, each man held to a belief in himself as he continued to pursue the goal in which he so strongly believed.

Think for a moment about an experience that you consider a failure. What feelings did you have about this experience? Did the experience offer opportunities for personal growth? What were they? Do you agree that you are better prepared for coping with the challenges of life for having had that experience?

Here are some ideas to help you reduce your fear of failure:

Confront your fear of failure. why do you feel this way? Is this particular fear justified? It it is, what can you do to eliminate your fear?
Look at your failure from a new perspective. Failing to reach a goal does not make you a failure. It only means that you did not reach that goal.
Working toward a goal includes taking specific steps. Although you may fail to reach the goal, there are benefits of having worked toward it. One benefit is the practical education of making the effort. Another one is the opportunity to practice specific skills. A third is the recognition that meeting some goals and failing to meet others is part of the ebb and flow of life.
Recognize that you probably will not achieve significant goals without some failures. Failing provides unique learning opportunities that ultimately contribute to your personal growth and to your organizational contribution.

I Doubt My Skills

Do you have a strong commitment to reaching your goals? If not, this lack of commitment may weaken your confidence in your own skills and abilities. You think to yourself, "I think I can do this, but I'm really not sure." Since the manner in which you mentally talk to yourself impacts your performance, it is important to focus on your strengths. Identify your abilities in a positive way. Focus on the thinks that you do well. Then decide which skills need work and identify strategies for improving these. Taking positive specific actions will help you develop confidence in your skills and abilities.

Here are some ideas to help you build confidence in your skills and abilities:

Think specifically and positively about your skills and abilities. Identify how they can contribute to each of your goals. Write these down.
Keeping your skills and abilities in mind, establish a realistic standard of achievement for your goal.
Establish a step-by-step plan for reaching your goals so that you can mark your progress.
When trying something new, think in terms of specific skills or behaviors that need changing. Avoid generalizations. Instead of "I'm terrible at running a meeting," try "I need to develop and use an agenda."
Avoid the exclusive use of others' opinions when evaluating your skills. Include your beliefs and your opinions as you make decisions about changes that need to be made.
For each criticism that you give yourself, also give yourself one or two specific compliments.

Changing the Way I Do Things is Not Easy

Do you enjoy change? If so, you probably are in the minority. Change is uncomfortable for most of us, even when it is for the better. Change means letting go of what is familiar. When we do that, we face the challenge of coping with new ideas and situations. But as much as you may resist change, it cannot be stopped. Your challenge is to accept that change is inevitable, so that your resources are used in concert with that change. Working against change often can be stressful, while working with and through change is a source of energy and greater strength. When you strive toward new goals, often you must change in some way. If you view change as a catalyst for reaching those goals, you will be better able to accept change with a more grateful perspective.

Which of your most significant goals require you to change in some way? In what ways to you need or want to change?

Here are some ideas to help you face change:

If change is a problem, admit it. Often, a first step to dealing with a problem is to admit it exists.
If possible, experience change gradually. Handling change all at once is tougher than easing into it. Many people find that they can even schedule the changes that they must accept.
Try seeking change as opposed to its seeking you. this will give you a sense of greater control over you future.
See yourself as someone who looks forward to change. Try new foods or new activities, and seek new acquaintances. Doing so establishes a pattern of willingness to experience the new.

I Have Too Many Things To Do

Frequently there are too many things to do. Fortunately, you have the ability to prioritize your goals and activities. Review your list of goals. Which are the most important to you? Which give you the greatest return on your investment? Which provide you with the greatest enjoyment or sense of accomplishment? Use your responses to prioritize the goals that are the most important to you. Then plan your yours, your days, and even your months to reach those goals.

In working on tasks, ignore the trivial and concentrate on the vital.

The following steps will help you put your goals in order of priority:

Identify criteria for prioritizing your goals. For example, which are the most important to you? Which have the greatest impact?
Use a high-medium-low scale to assess your goals, using your criteria.
Those goals with the highest rankings are your high-priority items.

Most of us realize that effective goal setting is a key to getting things accomplished. However, as we have reviewed in this chapter, there are potential obstacles that impede progress. Only when you understand the nature of the obstacles confronting you can you develop strategies to minimize these and achieve your goals.

"Potential Obstacles to Reaching Your Goals" is a sample chapter from Goal Setting by Susan B. Wilson, Published by AMACOM.
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