What If You Don’t Reach Your Goals?

April 9, 2012 in Goals with 8 Comments

I share a lot of goal-setting tips through this blog, such as:

Goal Setting Tips - What If You Don't Reach Your Goals

Keeping the BIG Things in Front of You in a BIG Way

A Key To Success in Goal Setting — Take A Step

Should I Lower My Expectations

Meditation or Movement — Which Is Best?

But even if we apply the best goal setting tips we know, there is no guarantee that we will reach our goals. So, is there anything good that comes from not reaching our goals?

Absolutely!

Here it is in one word: EXPERIENCE

Experience is what we gain when we don’t reach our goals, and experience is one of the greatest gifts we can receive. Going through the process of gaining experience isn’t something we usually strive for (nor should we), but the experience we gain from not reaching a goal is often as valuable as, if not more valuable than, reaching the goal itself.

Therefore, if you didn’t reach all your goals during the first quarter of the year, all is not lost. Take a moment and evaluate what experience you gained and be sure to apply what you learned to your life. My bet is that you’ll realize the first quarter of the year was more valuable than you thought!

Kent Julian - Goal Getting E-Book

Achieve Your Goals and Live Your Dreams – Check Out Kent Julian’s Goal-Getting E-Book!

 

 

  • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

    I agree as I found this out last year. Not all of my goals were met but I made more advancement than I did in the previous years. 

    • http://www.liveitforward.com/ Kent Julian

      Very cool, Joe. I don’t know about you, but I always learn something when I don’t end up getting what I’m going after (and most of the time, those lessons are invaluable!)

      Thanks for sharing!

  • http://danhefferan.com/ Dan Hefferan

    I just finished Jonathan Field’s Uncertainty, and the chapter that I most appreciated was one about Reframing the way you look at failure.
    Instead of fearing failure, he suggests that you brainstorm the ways you would get yourself up from your failure- the things you would do to dig yourself out of the hole. 
    and then he suggests you imagine what would happen if you allowed you life to stay the same for the next.

    The kicker is this- which option is most appealing- a failure where you know how you’d respond that has the possibility of a great success, or a life of unmoving sameness?

    • http://www.liveitforward.com/ Kent Julian

      Excellent insight, Dan. What you wrote fits with the W. Clement Stone “E+R=O” equation I talk about a lot…it’s the events + our RESPONSE that equals the outcomes in our lives. Failure turns into a good thing if we RESPOND well to it. 

      Thanks for sharing! 

  • http://alanamokma.wordpress.com/ Alana Mokma

    I like this, Kent! I had a similar thought on my commute to work this morning – In what ways can I consider my existing job (and future jobs) as a continuous learning tool? I realized a job isn’t just about making money, and it’s not even just about my NEW focus of fulfilling Vocational Purpose – it is also about gaining experience and learning things along the journey.

    I also like that your perspective is that it is not seen as a complete loss if one does not reach their goals. This is encouraging!

    • http://www.liveitforward.com/ Kent Julian

      Alana…I think I’ve let you in on my little secret that I only accomplish about 50-60% of my goals each year. Otherwise, I feel like I’m not stretching myself enough :)

  • http://www.leadtoimpact.com/ Bernard Haynes

    Once again I am late on a reply. But, this was good. It use to upset when I did not complete my goals at time I wanted. It was not until I really sat down and begin to review the process that I learned about myself. I was able to learn from my experience what I needed to do and not do. You are right after reviewing it was more valuable than I thought. So I made some adjustments and changes and went back to work. 

    • http://www.liveitforward.com/ Kent Julian

      Excellent, Bernard! Real success comes about by constant learning through the process of living.