The problem with making goals with deadlines

So if you’ve read Think and Grow Rich (which you should!) then you’ll be familiar with the ideas of giving yourself a ‘deadline’ to meet your goal. The problem I find with this is that it puts too much pressure on yourself, and if you dont make it you think all is lost. Its a downer on your confidence, in the system and your energy.

Its far better not to put a deadline on the end goal. Instead, put a time frame on the next thing to do.

For example:

Say your goal is to be able to run 3km in 10 minutes. Now you could affirm to yourself that you are going to achieve this by the end of the year. Everyday you write out this goal and put in energy, feeling and visualisation into it, as well as following a plan and actually training, but on Jan the 1st you go for a run and it takes you 10 minutes and 32 seconds. So now what, do you give up? Do you lose faith in the universe? Do you just make a new goal and keep trying? When I make a goal I find it far better to to list the steps I am going to take to achieve that goal (to do list), and then put deadlines on the steps.

Create a diet plan – By the end of the day
Create a training plan – By the end of tomorrow
Follow my diet and training plan every day – As soon as they are created
Research more about how to run faster, apply prinicples in training – Wednesday
Continue to train – No time limit. Just continue until you achieve it. Have faith you will achieve it.

*Note: I have never tried to achieve this goal, nor have I researched it. I am just making these steps up. If you are in fact trying to run 3km in 10 minutes I suggest doing actual research in how to train for and achieve this goal.

Final Thought
Ill have a goal, when Ill actually achieve the goal I dont know, and I dont care. The point is to have faith that with *diligent work I will acheive it. Once that milestone is reached Ill just make a new/continue on the plan until I hit the next milestone etc

*Diligent work includes daily rewriting of the goal, visualisation, creating and adjusting plans, following plans etc

Comments are closed.