OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Resolutions are an inescapable part of the new year. Apart from being a fun thing to do, they actually do provide direction, purpose, and a tangible destination to work toward. However, the journey to achieving those goals is often complicated by challenges, detours, and the occasional misstep. Successfully achieving the goals you’ve set for yourself, therefore, is not just about envisioning what you want — it’s about creating a realistic roadmap, anticipating potential obstacles, and maintaining the determination to persevere, even when things don’t go as planned.
In this article, we’ll explore the essential elements of effective goal-setting, from crafting clear and actionable objectives to overcoming roadblocks and maintaining momentum. Whether you’re setting out to tackle a New Year’s resolution or setting out to achieve a lifechanging milestone, these strategies will hopefully help you stay on course and turn your aspirations into achievements.
Setting a goal
Yes, it is very important to know what you want — to be specific in envisioning your commitment. Vague and unclear goals are difficult to keep track of and will often result in a loss of your drive to succeed. Clear and specific goals, on the other hand, allow you to see exactly where you are in your journey toward success, with the added benefit of keeping the goal firmly top of mind.
However, as important as it is to have clear goals, you must also have an equally clear understanding of what stands in your way. Astronauts may aim for the stars, but if they don’t take bad weather into account, they are most likely to stay stranded on the launch pad.
So, when formulating your resolutions, also ask yourself what external factors can prevent you from meeting your goal. If you commit, for example, to eating healthy, first figure how you will cope with those sugar cravings you get in the middle of the afternoon? Ask yourself how you’re going to deal with oblivious office mates who bring cookies and chips to work? Is there something beyond your control that can scuttle your chances for success?
Recognizing that these barriers to success exist will give you a better chance of getting past them simply because you’re getting ahead start in knowing what you need to avoid, what you need to stop doing, and what obstacles you have to anticipate. As they say, “forewarned is forearmed.”
Devise a plan
Once you’ve decided what your goals are, it is time to devise a plan.
Setting a goal without putting together a plan to get there is to set yourself up for failure. By making success an all-or-nothing proposition, you are essentially telling yourself that you are failing until you actually win. This can be extremely disheartening, especially when achieving the goal starts to take longer than you expected it would.
Instead, break the goal down into smaller, more easily achievable objectives. Landing a new job is a common resolution, for example, but you can’t control when you will actually find one. To make it more attainable, break that big task — getting a new job — into more manageable targets: “I will submit three résumés a week; or I will attend one job fair a month” are both doable and achievable, and also provide regular opportunities to measure progress and celebrate small wins along the way.
Accomplishing these incremental objectives builds momentum and boosts confidence. Each completed task reinforces your belief in your ability to succeed, creating a positive feedback loop that keeps you motivated.
Don’t be afraid to reassess
If things aren’t going as planned, don’t be afraid to reconsider your strategy and be honest about how realistic your goals were to start with. Sometimes, what seemed like a brilliant plan at the outset turns out to have unforeseen flaws or obstacles. Don’t think of that as a failure — instead see it as an opportunity for a new beginning.
Take a moment to pause, reassess, and pivot. Remember, success isn’t about stubbornly sticking to a plan that isn’t working. Better by far to be flexible — adapting to the needs of the situation and recognizing when it is time to make adjustments.
Remember, success is not a straight line. Each decision to adapt or pivot brings you closer to the goal you set out for yourself. Mistakes and missteps are not failures; they are the building blocks of growth. By embracing change, finetuning your goals to be more realistic, and knowing when to let go, you create space for new opportunities to unfold.
So, don’t be afraid to pause, rethink, and start again. Sometimes, the most powerful step forward is acknowledging that you need to take a step back. Trust that every setback contains the seeds of a new beginning — and with the right mindset, you can turn today into a stepping stone toward a brighter future.
(The author is a former Comelec commissioner. He is a pioneer of automated elections being a member of the Commission that successfully modernized Philippine elections in 2010. He remains involved in public service as an election lawyer. Email: [email protected])