4 Reasons Why People Don’t Set Goals, According to Zig Ziglar by Jennifer Janechek

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

According to Zig Ziglar, “97 percent of the people in our society do not have a clearly defined, written-down set of goals for their lives.” We all know goal getting can be difficult, but why is goal setting so hard for the majority of the population? In Goals Planning and Action Guide: How to Get the Most Out of Your Life, Ziglar gives four reasons:  

1. Fear 

2. Poor self-image 

3. No buy-in 

4. Don’t know how 

Ziglar delves into each of these hindrances to success. Let’s review what they are so we can prevent them from limiting our achievement. 

Fear 

Ziglar explains that we have been conditioned to doubt our ability to accomplish what we set our mind to. As children, we are constantly told “no” and “you can’t do that.” We internalize that attitude, and our inner monologue becomes dominated by negativity. Our concerns seem real and valid, and they cement into fears—what Ziglar defines as “False Evidence Appearing Real.” This false evidence prevents many individuals from setting goals for themselves. 

Poor Self-Image 

The second hindrance to goal setting, poor self-image, is related to the first, as both derive from negative self-talk. People don’t set goals because they can’t envision themselves accomplishing anything great. They have a negative idea of themselves in their mind, and they simply cannot imagine themselves as a college graduate, a desirable romantic partner, a homeowner, a successful entrepreneur, etc. A good self-image is a major requisite for success; as Ziglar notes, no amount of positive thinking will prevail over a self-image that is inherently negative, for “we perform in accordance with the image or the picture we have planted in our minds.”  

No Buy-In 

The third reason that people don’t set goals is that they don’t recognize the importance of them. And even when people have a hazy idea of what they are aiming for, they don’t take the time to write down their goals and monitor their progress toward them. But if you don’t write down your goals—if you aren’t completely clear on what you should be doing when you are at home, at work, in the gym, etc.—you will waste precious time and focus. Without goals that are established in writing, people will use their work time to worry about their family time, their family time to worry about their work tasks—they’ll lose the purpose and efficiency that come from knowing exactly what you should be doing and when you should be doing it.  

Don’t Know How 

The fourth and final reason that people avoid goal setting is that they don’t know how to go about doing it. Yes, the process of goal setting can be very time consuming. Ziglar notes that to really assess and establish productive goals, it can take between ten and twenty hours the first time you go about it. But once you learn how to set one goal, it becomes second nature—regardless of the type of goal. There is a formula for goal setting, and you can learn it—with all the action activities and reflection prompts to get you square on the path to achievement—with Ziglar’s Goals Planning and Action Guide, now available from Sound Wisdom.  

The late Zig Ziglar was a motivational speaker, teacher and trainer who traveled the world over delivering his messages of humor, hope, and encouragement. As a world-renowned author and speaker, Zig had an appeal that transcended barriers of age, culture and occupation. From 1970 until 2010, he traveled over five million miles across the world delivering powerful life improvement messages, cultivating the energy of change. Recognized by his peers as the quintessential motivational genius of our times, Zig Ziglar’s unique delivery style and powerful messages earned him many honors, and today he is still considered one of the most versatile authorities on the science of human potential. Goals Planning and Action Guide, the perfect in-depth workbook to deepen your understanding and application of Goals: How to Get the Most Out of Your Life, is now available from Sound Wisdom.

10 Steps to Serious Goal-Setting by Zig Ziglar

Permission to reprint this article that originally appeared here provided by our good friends at SUCCESS Magazine. 

When you plan and prepare carefully, you can legitimately expect to have success in your efforts. When you recognize and develop the winning qualities that you were born with, the winner you were born to be emerges. Although not all your expectations are going to come to pass, you give yourself an infinitely better chance of succeeding by taking the proper steps. 

Regardless of your goal—losing weight, furthering your education, earning a promotion, saving money for a new home or an exotic vacation—you can expect to achieve your goal if you plan and prepare for it. 

Start with these 10 steps: 

1. Build a solid foundation. 
   Honesty, character, integrity, trust, love, loyalty. This foundation will give you an honest shot at reaching any goal you have properly set. 

2. Make the commitment. 
   The most practical, beautiful, workable philosophy in the world won’t work—if you won’t. As Mary Crowley said, “One person with a commitment is worth a hundred who only have an interest.” 

3. Break it down. 
   Break down your intermediate and long-range goals into increments. 

4. See it. 
   If you want to reach a goal, you must “see the reaching” in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal. In your imagination, see yourself receiving that diploma, getting that job or promotion, making that speech, moving into your dream home, achieving that weight-loss goal…  

5. Hold yourself accountable. 
   Daily discipline is the key to reaching your goals. Record your progress toward your goals every night, and list the six most important things you need to do the next day. 

6. Expect change. 
   Make a decision to move toward a goal carefully—but we willing to change your direction to get there as conditions and circumstances demand. Push on, friend. 

7. Tell people. 
   Chances are excellent they’re going to encourage you. 

8. Be a team player. 
   You can have everything you want in life if you will just help enough other people get what they want.  

9. Write it all down. 
   Each time you reach a goal, your confidence will grow so that you can do bigger and better things. After accomplishing any goal, write about it—in your journal, wherever. 

10. Reflect. 
    What you get by reaching your destination isn’t nearly as important as what you become by reaching your goals—what you will become is the winner you were born to be! 

Zig Ziglar’s Goals: How to Get the Most Out of Your Life is available from Sound Wisdom on May 21, 2019. In it, the legendary speaker and author elaborates on the crucial steps you must take to set and achieve your goals. Pre-order your copy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other fine retailers.