Answering Your Biggest Goal Setting Questions
Even with a solid framework, challenges will arise. Here are answers to some of the most common goal setting questions we hear from clients at TheFocusedMethod.com.
What do I do if I have too many goals?
This is a common problem in an ambitious world. The answer is ruthless prioritization. You cannot effectively chase five big goals at once. Your focus will be too divided, and you’ll make frustratingly slow progress on all of them. Use your Vision as a filter. Which one or two goals will make the biggest impact on moving you toward that North Star? Choose one primary goal to be your Quarterly Theme. You can have other, smaller goals related to habits or maintenance (e.g., read 10 pages a day, maintain your workout routine), but reserve your focused, project-based energy for one major objective per quarter. It’s better to make significant progress on one important thing than to make marginal progress on five.
My priorities seem to conflict (e.g., career vs. family). How do I handle that?
This isn’t a problem to be solved, but a tension to be managed. First, acknowledge that the conflict is real. Don’t pretend you can give 100% to your career pivot and 100% to your family life simultaneously. Second, look for integration. Can you involve your family in your fitness goal by going on hikes together? Can you study for your certification while your kids are doing their homework? Third, practice constraint-aware planning. If you know you have important family commitments, accept that your goal progress will be slower during that time. Adjust your weekly focus to be smaller but still consistent. The goal is steady, sustainable progress, not a frantic, burnout-inducing sprint.
I have zero motivation, even for the smallest steps. What’s wrong with me?
Nothing is wrong with you. Motivation is a fickle emotion, not a character trait. When you feel completely stuck, it’s a signal to investigate. First, check your foundation: Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating reasonably well? Are you burnt out? Motivation is a biological and psychological phenomenon; you can’t willpower your way through exhaustion. The American Psychological Association notes that stress and fatigue significantly impair executive functions like planning and initiative. Visit their website at apa.org for more resources on managing stress. If your foundation is solid, make the first step laughably small. Use the “two-minute rule”: if your goal is to “Read a chapter,” change it to “Read one page.” If it’s “Go for a 30-minute run,” change it to “Put on your running shoes.” Often, starting the action is the hardest part, and a tiny start can create enough momentum to carry you forward.
My goal is hard to measure (e.g., “be more confident”). How can I track it?
Abstract goals are motivation killers. The key is to translate the intangible quality into observable behaviors. Ask yourself: “If I were more confident, what would I be doing differently?” The answers to this question become your measurable input goals. For example, “be more confident” could be translated into:
- Speak up with one idea or question in every team meeting.
- Initiate one conversation with a stranger at a social event.
- Send one networking email per week without asking for permission.
These are all concrete, measurable actions. You can track whether you did them or not. By focusing on executing these behaviors (the inputs), you will naturally build the internal feeling of confidence (the output) as a result of your own actions.
