Introduction:
Defining goals is essential to get success in any terms, like if you want to run a business you have some sort of goals to achieve it. Mostly poeple neglect that what is the most likely consequence of setting unrealistic goals? But the point is sometimes people set goals blindly and start working on them without knowing if it is really achievable or practical. No need to mention that some goals are really big and don’t know whether we should sacrifice our lives for it or not
Am here to help you to define and set realistic goals for you.
There are so many opportunities in this world and you can’t do everything. I want to help you figure out what you should do and which goals you should work for. I know from experience that choosing long-term goals can be difficult especially when you are young. I hope this post takes you closer to knowing how to set passionate goals.
Table of Contents
What does unrealistic goal means:
Unrealistic goals mean that goals you set are very high in competition and want at least a decade of your life with dedication and many people do not make that work. So, it’s the requirement of hard work or dedication that makes goals unrealistic. You might not have any sort of skills that require a huge amount of money to make it happen.
Quite often “unrealistic goals” are not that unrealistic, it is the competition that makes it tough that many people dream of the same thing. People lose their hope that people are better than those chasing this goal and I am far behind them, it’s not that true you can achieve anything if you are sincere with them. I know luck plays a very important role
Unrealistic goals vs Realistic goals:
An unrealistic goal is the simple one you believe that you cannot achieve. Although, there is no universal truth about what is realistic and what is not. But if the goal is too excessive for what you are able to do, it can lead to feelings of guilt. No matter how hard you push yourself, there will always be times when life gets in the way and stops you from reaching these overly ambitious goals.
Like 20 years ago, people cannot imagine technologies like electric cars or AI robots. But now it is very common to have an electric car because some people believe in themselves and make it happen.
I just want to convince you that people achieved very big goals even beyond the imagination of normal people but we found very rare cases. So, don’t come with a question like “ he believed himself why am not believing myself. ” I think this is a missing point completely.
How to identify unrealistic goals:
As I said earlier there is no universal truth but you can identify it by some principles. Like ask yourself a question that “ if I were able to achieve this goal, would my life actually change?” If not, then it’s time to make changes. When you set unrealistic goals you get tired, burnout and quit early. Sometimes a question may appear: why am I doing this like something interesting I can do or something which is according to my caliber. To stop planning unrealistic goals you have to make goals simpler.
Strategies steps can refine the goal-setting process:
Identifying the goals:
People have different goals and everyone has to work hard to achieve them . But the point is first you have to identify the goals, goals should be specific and achievable. You have to identify what am I chasing? What exactly is your goal? Will I be satisfied if I am able to achieve it in future? Also some questions you can ask from yourself:
- What am I passionate about ?
- What’s important to me professionally and also personally.
Develop a plan:
Plan is like a cheat code for your goals. By making a plan you have a path to follow, you have a road to run. So, I think after having a goal the next step you should have is to develop a relevant plan for your goal. It also helps you to know what you have to do on a daily basis for enough progress.
Example:
If I gave you the assignment of traveling from North Carolina to New York. Then some people would go on a road trip and keep driving until they got there. Some will choose to split the trip into three days by booking two or three hotels along the way.While other passengers will get on an airplane and arrive there. That’s the point “It doesn’t matter how you got there.” Everyone has their own plans but the end result is the same.
Set a timeline:
Setting a timeline is very helpful like it keeps you active when you are actually sincere about your goals and you have a deadline for a specific action to make progress then it will help you to not get distracted and keeps you on track. Be realistic about your timeline and what’s achievable in that window. So that you always know what you should do and so that you don’t have to waste any time.
Review the goals:
You can review your goals after a certain period of time like after a week or a month to check your progress along the way. Also if some changes are necessary in the plan you can make that also you can consider adding final deadlines as some emergency occurred and you didn’t achieve the specific task on time. If you don’t reach your goals by these final-chance due dates, you should revise your goals.
What is most likely consequence of setting unrealistic goals:
Unrealistic goals cause increased stress and burnout:
When you are chasing unrealistic goals and you are pushing yourself beyond your limits often and still getting no results it will cause burnout. And you cannot focus on work anymore. It also causes damage to mental health like stress or depression. The most likely consequence of setting unrealistic goals is you will give up on it and leave the hope of it.
Big goals take time but the patience level of people is very low and they are already tricked by instant gratification. So, it will cause stress to them and end up as depression. So, it is advised to you to set goals according to available resources and your personality, not like you just blindly chase something without some plan or discipline.
Unrealistic goals result in demotivation:
Motivation fades when success seems unrealistic.
You will get demotivated when you have unrealistic goals and after sometime your mind will say to you “ what is the point of having a dream like this” or “ this is not what I want ”. So, the point is you will end up talking negatively to yourself which gets worse and worse if you do not seek help.
The reason for this is that people believe it is not worthwhile to put in the effort and sacrifice other aspects of their lives in order to have a remote possibility of ever achieving a challenging goal because big goals often are so difficult to achieve. Without an actionable plan or discipline dreaming of big will affect the even strong mind person.
Unrealistic goals can impact confidence level:
Having unrealistic goals can really impact your self-confidence and even get it to the bottom. Because after chasing such unrealistic goals and no progress you made it will develop a sense of failure in your mind which causes stress or depression and ultimately lowers your confidence level.
The most likely consequence of setting unrealistic goals is feeling so defeated that you lose confidence in your capability to achieve anything.
When you set goals so big and you imagine what you will feel after achieving that goal but after a period of time you feel a feeling of shame that I didn’t make any progress and am an example of failure which affects your confidence so much.
Unrealistic goals impact on personal growth:
When you have no plan and you are running directionless and ultimately waste time on unrelatable things to your goals. That’s what I mean that it can impact on your personal growth. When you have big goals and you worked hard for achieving them and didn’t make them, you ultimately lose motivation to achieve other big goals.
As I discussed above earlier, unrealistic goals cause mental health problems and hinder your confidence which ultimately discourages the concept of self-growth which is core to success. I understand that big goals are really hard to achieve but you must do your best to understand your goal and do what it takes to get forward.
Conclusion:
Unrealistic goals are those that require hard work and dedication, but many people do not achieve them. Realistic goals, on the other hand, are the simple ones.A relevant plan is also essential, as it helps you know what to do on a daily basis for progress.
There are no such realistic goals, the effort or dedication required for it makes it difficult.You must put in more effort toward your own goals, make sure your objectives are clear, resolve any issues you may have, and put in the necessary time and effort.
Not to forget, I’d love to know what your life’s greatest ambitions are and what obstacles you believe stand in the way of achieving them. If you want to tell me about your plans, leave a comment below!