ExecMagazine

Most people claim to understand the importance of goal setting in order to attain a better life, but in fact, approximately 80 percent of people never set goals for themselves. This is especially prevalent among people who are not involved in some sort of business or entrepreneurial endeavor that promotes goal setting.
Even more surprising, of the 20 percent of the population that does set goals, roughly 70 percent fail to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. And when you take into consideration the fact that many of these goal-setting people strive for easily attainable, small goals, it’s a wonder that anyone accomplishes anything remarkable at all in business and in life.
But before you rush out and set goals at random, you need to know what traps to avoid. This week Promotional Consultant Today will look at the top 10 reasons why people fail at achieving their goals. Avoid these roadblocks and goal attainment will be yours.

Fear Of Failure? Success?
Some people are afraid they will fail, or even worse, they may actually succeed. As such, they don’t even bother trying to attain a goal. Such people lack belief in themselves and in their potential. In their mind, if they fail, everyone will think negatively of them. And if they succeed, people will be envious and think negatively of them. So it becomes a lose-lose situation no matter how they look at it. But realize that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Believe in yourself and your abilities and others will, too.
Understanding The Goal-Setting Process
Many people mistakenly believe that goal setting simply means putting a goal on paper, setting a date for completion, marking off checkpoints as they occur, and then starting all over again. Such a mentality hinders people from success, because a goal isn’t a one-time thing that you eventually scratch off a list. Setting a goal is really about changing yourself for the long-term. Goals aren’t short-term, quick-fix things; they are fixed and immovable destinations that show the world who you want to become or what you want to achieve.
Source: Douglas Vermeeren is an international speaker and best-selling author on goal setting and human performance. His most recent book, Amazing Success, combines more than 400 interviews with top achievers and highlights the attributes and similar patterns they followed to achievement.