The number one resolution among Americans each year is to lose weight, according to WKTV.com in Utica, New York, citing statistics from USA.gov. Besides losing weight, people set goals to save money, attain higher education or simply to reduce stress. The process of setting goals has definite advantages, however, there are disadvantages associated with setting goals as well.
Achieve Desired Results
Once you've set a goal, it becomes a concrete reality, rather than a vague wish, according to MindTools.com. A well-defined, specific goal makes it more likely that you will achieve this desired goal. Goal setting also allows you to measure how much progress you've made toward obtaining what you wish to accomplish. The process of goal setting can also expose what resources you may lack, and can help you determine whether you need help from other people, the University of New Hampshire explains.
Clarify Priorities
Goal setting can help you determine what's really important to you, according to MindTools.com. If you really love listening to music, it's reasonable to set a goal to save money for good quality audio equipment. If you're concerned about your financial security, leaving the money in the bank may make more sense. Goal setting can also help you differentiate your own goals from what your parents or your friends may think is best, according to Helen Zielinsky Landon, Ph.D., writing on her website. If you're dragging your feet on working toward a specific goal, it may be a clue that your heart isn't truly in it, she writes.
Pressure and Criticism
Stating a goal to family, friends and professional colleagues makes you accountable, which makes it more likely that you will follow through. if you've set a goal to lose weight, your diet buddy can help you resist that second piece of chocolate cake. However, telling others about your goals may also leave you vulnerable to criticism, according to the Montgomery County, Maryland, public schools website. Instead of encouraging you, your diet buddy may criticize you for skipping the gym for a day when you're coming down with the flu.
Discouragement and Failure
Setting goals that are too ambitious, such as losing 10 pounds every week, can also result in discouragement, according to the Mayo Clinic. You may become so discouraged that you give up trying at all. This is especially true if your goals focus on outcomes rather than performance, according to MindTools.com. In some instances, you may face obstacles beyond your control that make it difficult or impossible to achieve your goals, explains Lisa Sebotnick McLean, M.D., in a report originally published in the "Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry," reprinted on the PubMed website.
References
- Ncbi.nlm.nih: Overcoming Obstacles--Therapeutic Success Despite External Barriers
- MayoClinic: Weight-Loss Goals--10 Tips for Success
- MontgomerySchoolsMD: Benefits of Goal Setting
- University of New Hampshire: Developing SMART Goals
- DrHelen: Goal Setting for the New Whatever (Year, Decade, Century, Millennium)
Member Comments