We all pretty much set goals — even if they are quite vague and loose — from time to time. Lose weight, save money, reach a new personal best at something... goals are pretty universal.

But goals don't stand alone; they are constantly interacting with our personalities.

This is also one of the reasons why simply copying someone else's goals (because "it sounded good") is often a recipe for failure.

We're each conditioned in our own ways — by experience and natural inclination — to process what comes at us in our own individual way.

Let's take an example "in action," since we have one: The crypto markets rising and then suddenly reversing, as they have in the past week.

How do you respond? How do YOU respond?

Do you suddenly feel dejected and slack off on your determination? Or do you feel more determined, to make up the shortfall? Or are you stoic, and just keep on "like nothing happened?"

Diving further into the impact of personality, does such a sudden change of course — perhaps unexpected — result in you feeling like the world is conspiring against you (perhaps resulting in your downgrading your goals, even) or are you more prone to simply view it as an opportunity to "buy the dip?"

And then there's history. To what degree to do you think "this is the same way things ALWAYS go" and change your own course accordingly, or do you believe every situation is essentially new and filled with its own possibilities?

By now, you've probably figured out that there's a lot more to goal setting than simply writing a number on a piece of paper!

Of course, we also have to consider the long term interactions between goal setting and your personality.

Are you flexible/fluid, or rigid? And how do you respond to prolonged setbacks?

I know that one of the things I've always struggled with is a tendency to just give up when it becomes patently obvious that there is no way I'm going to make it to some long term goal. This holds true with respect to annual goals, and even five year goals.

From a purely rational standpoint, I am well aware that my results will be even worse — when I am running substantially behind — when I slip into "give up" mode, where I could at least have gotten close if I just kept working hard in acceptance of falling 10% short... and instead I end up falling 25-30% and feeling like everything sucks.

It's a personal trait I am working on... alongside the task of setting more realistic goals, so I am less prone to falling behind.

As I have written before, part of the problem with goal setting is that we sometimes forget to factor in that "life happens," when we set goals. Meaning that our goals are predicated on not having any setbacks like being out of commission for two weeks with the flu, or having to pivot and attend to some emergency for a couple of weeks. Life typically does not unfold in a straight line!

I find myself writing these words as we reach the point of just two weeks left in 2024... and thus thinking about what I want to achieve in 2025.

All I know for sure is that it would be nice to have a year in which things felt like they went "better than expected," as opposed to ending up feeling disappointed... again!

Good luck with your own goal setting!

Till the next one... I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Feel free to leave a comment — this IS "social" media, after all!

=^..^=

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