Does Goal Setting Work?

By Jeff H Grundy

At a time when just getting by seems to be a challenge, should you be spending your time planning the future? And if you should be setting goals, do they actually work?

Well according to the so called experts, only 3 to 5 percent of the people who set goals actually achieve them. So I guess the answer to the second question would be no. Yet if that is true, why are there dozens and dozens if not hundreds of people teaching goal setting.

Is teaching goal setting something like be a weather man. People want to hear what you say, but if you are right or wrong no one really cares. Well I certainly hope not.

Back to the original question, should we be planning the future while the present is so difficult. I believe the answer has to be yes. Certainly one way or another the difficult financial times of today will pass into a brighter future. And by planning for it, you will be much better prepared to reap the benefits while others are just getting going.

So what now, yes you should plan for the future, but no goals don't work. Or do they work but for only a small percent of people. So then the question becomes are these people different or are the other 95 to 97 percent of the people doing something wrong.

Since there are so many people teaching goals and all basically teaching the same thing, lets assume the process of setting goals is sound. Then the challenge must be the implementation of the goals being set.

I like this answer because it is fixable and leaves hope for the majority of us who have trouble accomplishing our goals.

Again almost all goals teachers teach we must have a strong unbending desire if we are to accomplish out major goals in life. That makes sense, yet lets look at the simple goals first. Like saving 10% of our income weekly or exercising 3 times a week or maybe hugging your family members 3 times a day.

These goals seem simple enough, yet why then do we have so much trouble accomplishing them? Basically because we will not hold ourselves accountable to ourselves. For some reason this is human nature.

So what do the 3 to 5 percent do that the rest of us don't do. They hire someone else to help hold themselves accountable. It could be a coach or an accountability partner, it doesn't matter as long as you have another human being tugging at your sleeve reminding you of what you have committed to.

It is amazing but we will do some much more for others than we will do for ourselves. My success has been with an accountability partner but you must choose what is best for you.

Are you having trouble finding your own accountability partner? Transform Goals Into Reality could be the answer you are looking for.

If you are like me and have spent $1000's of dollars on self help products, yet have not achieved the success promised in these products, come listen to our free podcast at 30 Wasted Years Podcast. I think you will find our perspective to be refreshing and entertaining.