4 Reasons Why Traditional Goal-Setting Doesn’t Work

4 reasons why traditional goal-setting doesn’t work and why you should be setting inspired goals instead so that you can create a life of love and purpose. By setting inspired goals, you are going to create more meaning in every moment and will be able to live a life of purpose. 

Last week, I made a bold statement that “traditional” goal-setting bores me.

But the truth is, traditional goal-setting never actually worked for me….at least not fully.

I would achieve some goals here and there, but never at the level that I was dreaming of. 

Until I made the shift towards setting and achieving inspired goals instead of traditional goals. And *THAT’S* when the magic started to happen.

I talked about setting inspired goals a few times before so if you want to read more about that, you can go here. But in this post, I wanted to take the time to talk about “traditional” goal-setting and why I think that it doesn’t work.

Reason # 1 | You’re not doing the inner work

Traditional goal-setting is focused too much on doing rather than being. What I want for you instead it to create a life of love and purpose. Not just achieving a list of goals.

Wouldn’t you rather be excited and inspired about your goals rather than just mechanically trying to achieve them by having them be only S.M.A.R.T.?

What do you think will happen if you’re pushing yourself all the time to achieve a goal without taking the time to check in and see how you’re feeling, without taking the time to truly connect with your heart to see what your soul truly desires?

• Related: Everything you Need to Know About Personal Development

You’re probably not going to stay excited for that goal very long.

If you know my work, then you know that one of my mottos is that the goal-slaying journey is not about the goal itself but about the person that you are becoming in the process.

Not only should goals be inspired (more on that in point # 2) but the foundation of your goals should be focused on doing the inner work.

What does that mean, the “inner work”?

It means cultivating healthier and more inspiring habits that will help you create a life of love and purpose. It means understanding the reason behind why you want to achieve a goal, and then doing the inner work to get there. 

It means creating habits like mindfulness (through meditation, journaling, yoga, exercising etc.) so that you are able to connect with yourself, with your why (your purpose) and building awareness around the small moments in life that bring you joy, like sharing a laugh over a cup of coffee with a friend. Or seeing your niece/nephew smile at you when you make goofy faces at them.

The more time you take to do the inner work, to connect with yourself, with your purpose, with who you are and who you want to be, the stronger and more empowered you will feel. Which will naturally feed into your goal-slaying journey because you are becoming stronger every day and are building the strength and capacity to welcome into your life the beautiful things that life has to offer.

Reason # 2 | Your goals aren’t inspired

There is so much more power in setting goals that are based on your values, your beliefs and your life’s purpose. When you set inspired goals, you are aligning your beliefs, your values with your thoughts, actions and behaviours.

What do I mean by “inspired” goals?

To set meaningful and inspired goals, you need to first understand and connect with how you want to feel on a daily basis, what your life’s purpose is, on a big and small scale. 

When your goals come from a place of inspiration and when you are seeking true joy and happiness, it will become easier and more natural to align your thoughts, your actions, your choices and your behaviour with those inspired goals.

• Related: How to Set Meaningful and Inspired Goals

This means tapping into the intuitive dimension by connecting to your heart and your soul’s calling so that you can then be guided in a more inspired and purposeful direction. 

[bctt tweet=”Meaningful and inspired goals are based on your values, your beliefs and your life’s purpose” username=”seppyforlove”]

Inspired goals will give you purpose and meaning, every day, and will make you feel happier and empowered on a regular basis. 

If you find true meaning and a deeper purpose behind your goals, then you will uncover real success. You will constantly be growing, evolving and changing every day. You will be moving closer to becoming the truest and most authentic version of yourself.

PIN NOW, READ LATER!

Reason # 3 | You did not ask the right questions

Let’s be real – we live in a society of consumption where there is always something new to buy, there is something better and prettier and fancier out there that we are being sold to.

In traditional goal-setting, the guiding question is usually “What do I want?”.

Although that isn’t inherently a bad question, it can be misleading.

What do I want….I want a house, new clothes, a designer purse, to travel the world, a new phone, more money.

Okay, great. But do those things really make you feel happy and inspired? Will more clothes *really* make you happier in the long-run?

Honestly, no it won’t. And if you pay attention to your own spending habits, you will see that you keep on buying sh*t that you don’t need because you are creating a temporary feeling of joy that does not last until you buy that next thing.

And guess what? You’re going to keep on buying more shit you don’t need and you’ll be ignoring the real, meaningful and deep questions that you are seeking to find the answer to.

Rather than asking yourself “What do I want?”, ask yourself more empowering questions that will guide you towards more inspired answers.

• Related: The One Powerful Question you Need to Ask Yourself

By asking yourself: Who do I want to be? How do I want to feel? What do I want to create? What vision do i want for my life?

*THESE* are the questions that should be guiding your goals.

For example, if you answer “I want to feel HAPPY” – then you now need to uncover the things that make you truly happy, on a deeper level. Is it money? No. It’s what money represents for you. What would it mean to have more money? Will it mean…more freedom to do what you want? To be able to travel? Is it the feeling of status that you’re looking for? To feel cool and “in” that you have the nicest purse in the crowd.

What I want you to understand is that it’s absolutely and 100% OKAY to want designer and luxurious items. But the point that I’m trying to get across is the path towards getting those things.

If you’re able to uncover the things that your heart is truly seeking for – love and connection, happiness, freedom, joie de vivre…you will then be able to better understand why you want those items, those material things.

And it wont be about ONLY getting those things anymore. Once you understand what you want, at a soul level, then your goal-slaying strategy will look very different.

It’ll be about creating bonds of friendship, it’ll be about bringing mindfulness into your life, it’ll be about building confidence from the inside…there will be more meaning and a deeper purpose behind your actions and your choices.

So traditional goal-setting is only covering part of it – it’s missing the emotional and meaningful component that I think is more important and should be driving force behind your goals. 

Reason # 4 | Your goals aren’t aligned with your values

I wanted to delve a little bit deeper on this point because I think it’s just that important. 

Traditional goal-setting is focused too much on what you want rather than who you are as a person.

Which means that you aren’t taking the time to truly understand yourself.

Do you know what your guiding values are in life? Have you ever sat down and thought about it, long and hard?

Probably not.

And that’s okay, because that’s most people.

But you’re not most people. You clicked on this post for a reason – because you are searching for more meaning and more purpose in your life (and YAY for you!).

• Related: 5 Reasons Why You’re Not Achieving Your Goals

See, goals are important, but what’s more important is figuring out who you are, and who you want to be. And one of the most important things that you can ever do is to understand and live by your values.

Because when you stay true to yourself and you’re able to align your thoughts and actions with your values, you become more confident and more empowered. And that lays a strong foundation for you to be able to slay your inspired goals.

So to achieve inspired goals that give you life meaning and purpose, you need to make sure that they are aligned with your values. 

Get Started!

Want to know more about how you can get started on setting and achieving inspired goals? Check out the free resource library that guides you through the changes you can make in your life to set the foundation for living a life of love and purpose.

Because achieving inspired goals starts with laying a strong foundation so that you can be ready and prepared to slay your inspired goals.

WANT MORE?

• WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | Want to receive weekly Love Letters and motivational emails? Sign up to the mailing list HERE
• FACEBOOK | Stay up to date with all my content by following the Facebook page – Click HERE
• PODCAST | Are you on-the-go? Listen to my Podcast for practical advice on how to Live a Life you Love – Click HERE
• GOAL-SETTING WORKSHOP | Ready to set inspired goals? Click HERE to sign up to the FREE goal-setting workshop where I guide you through a step-by-step process on setting your goals!
• “CREATE A LIFE OF LOVE + PURPOSE” MASTER CLASS | Learn the tools and strategies to live a more meaningful and happy life. Click HERE to learn more.