I’ve set a lot of goals that went nowhere. Not because I didn’t want them badly enough, but because I made avoidable mistakes that killed my motivation.
The SMART framework is solid, but most people mess up the implementation. Here are the 7 mistakes I see most often (and made myself).
Bad: “Take online courses, read industry blogs, and attend webinars throughout the year.”
This lists activities but doesn’t define what “success” actually looks like.
Good: “Master SQL and data visualization by completing the Google Data Analytics Certificate (6 courses) and building 3 portfolio projects by August 31, 2025, to qualify for data analyst positions.”
The fix: Ask yourself “If someone checked in 6 months, could they objectively tell if I achieved this?” If not, you’re not specific enough.
Bad: “Study 20 hours per week for my certification exam.”
You could study 20 hours and still fail if you’re studying the wrong things.
Good: “Pass the PMP exam with 75%+ by June 30, 2025, by studying 15 hours weekly AND scoring 80%+ on 200 weekly practice questions AND taking 3 mock exams with progressive improvement.”
The fix: Track both inputs (hours studied) and outputs (practice test scores). If outputs don’t improve, inputs don’t matter.
Too easy: “Read 3 books this year” (when you already read 2 annually)
Too hard: “Lose 60 pounds in 3 months” (unsafe and demotivating)
Just right: “Lose 30 pounds in 7 months by hitting 1,600 calories daily and working out 5x/week, building on my current 3x/week walking habit.”
The fix: Aim for 10-20% growth beyond your baseline. If your goal requires 40%+ improvement, break it into phases.
External pressure: “Lose 20 pounds because my doctor said I should.”
This might work for a week. Maybe two. Then life gets busy and it disappears.
Personal motivation: “Lose 20 pounds by July 1 so I can play actively with my kids without getting winded and feel confident in photos at my sister’s wedding.”
The fix: Use the “5 Whys” technique:
Now you’ve found the real motivation.
Bad: “Launch my online course by December 31, 2025.”
What happens when you check progress in November and realize you’re nowhere close?
Good: “Launch course by December 31 with these checkpoints:
The fix: For goals over 3 months, create monthly milestones. This lets you catch problems early instead of discovering failure at the deadline.
I see people set 10+ goals for the year. “I’ll work out daily, start a business, learn guitar, read 52 books, meditate, journal, and…”
By February, they’ve abandoned 8 of them.
The fix: Use the 1-3-5 framework:
Example:
Most people spend 2 hours crafting perfect goals in January, then rediscover them in December wondering what happened.
The fix: Create a review system:
Weekly (15 min every Sunday):
Monthly (30 min first Sunday): 5. Am I on pace for my deadline? 6. What needs to change? 7. Updated action plan
Put this in your calendar as a meeting with yourself. Miss it once and you’ll never do it.
Original: “Get healthier this year by eating better and exercising more”
Problems:
Fixed (Exercise): “Run a 5K in under 35 minutes by June 30, 2025, by following Couch to 5K program, running 3x/week (Mon/Wed/Sat 6:30 AM), and tracking in Strava.
Milestones:
Obstacles planned:
Tracking: Log every run in Strava, Sunday review, monthly check-in with buddy”
Much better odds of success.
Pull out your current goals
Run each through this checklist:
Fix the gaps using the solutions above
Start your first weekly review this Sunday
You don’t need perfect goals. You need honest self-assessment and willingness to adjust.
Pick your most important goal. Run it through the checklist. Fix what’s broken. Then start.
Most people fail not because of bad goals, but because of avoidable mistakes. Now you know how to avoid them.
Download the Goal Audit Checklist and fix your goals this week.
Questions? Contact us — we’d love to help.
