Before You Set the Goal, Make Sure It Is Yours
Before You Set the Goal, Make Sure It Is Yours
Goal setting usually begins with one question:
What do you want to accomplish?
It sounds simple, but sometimes the first answer is not really ours.
We choose goals because they sound responsible, impressive or productive. We see what other people are doing and think we should be doing it too. We carry goals from one year into the next without stopping to ask whether they still fit our lives, businesses or priorities.
A goal can be clear, measurable and realistic and still be the wrong goal for you.
Before you create an action plan, it is worth taking a moment to ask a more important question:
Is this something I genuinely want, or something I think I am supposed to want?
Where Did This Goal Come From?
Some goals begin with a real desire to grow or make a meaningful change. Others come from comparison, pressure or an old version of ourselves.
Maybe you believe you should grow your business because growth is what successful business owners do. But what you really want is a simpler, more profitable business with fewer demands on your time.
Maybe you set a goal to launch another product because everyone else seems to be creating something new. But your current services may need more attention before you add anything else.
Maybe you are still pursuing a personal goal that made sense two years ago but no longer feels important.
That does not mean you failed. It may simply mean you have changed.
Put the Goal in a Bubble
The Put It in a Bubble® method teaches us to create space between what enters our minds and what we decide to carry forward.
You can use that same idea with your goals.
Imagine placing the goal inside a bubble. You are not throwing it away or avoiding it. You are giving yourself enough space to look at it honestly.
Ask yourself:
Why do I want this?
Why does it matter to me now?
Does it fit the direction I want my life or business to take?
What will it require from me?
Am I willing to make that commitment?
Would I still want this if no one else knew I accomplished it?
Do not rush through the questions. The purpose is not to talk yourself out of the goal. It is to make sure you are choosing it intentionally.
A Goal Should Fit More Than Your Calendar
When we plan goals, we often focus on deadlines and action steps. Those things matter, but a goal also needs to fit your available time, energy, money and responsibilities.
For a business goal, ask:
Does my business actually need this right now?
Will this help solve an existing problem?
Do I have the capacity to follow through?
What might I need to pause, simplify or release to make room for it?
How will I know this effort is producing a worthwhile result?
For a personal goal, ask:
Does this support the life I want?
Will pursuing it improve my well-being or create unnecessary pressure?
Is the pace realistic for my current season?
What kind of support would help me stay consistent?
A meaningful goal can challenge you, but it should not require you to ignore reality.
You Are Allowed to Release a Goal
Sometimes the most productive decision is not adding another goal. It is letting go of one that no longer belongs in your plan.
Releasing a goal does not mean you are giving up. It may mean you are choosing to use your time and attention more intentionally.
You might decide to:
Keep the goal and move forward
Change the goal so it fits your current needs
Test the idea before making a larger commitment
Place it on hold until you have more capacity
Release it completely
Every goal does not deserve equal space in your life.
Turn the Right Goal Into Action
Once you know the goal is truly yours, the next step is to make it workable.
Start small:
Define what progress would look like.
Choose one action you can take now.
Decide when you will complete it.
Identify what could get in the way.
Create a simple check-in point to review your progress.
You do not need to have the entire path figured out. You need enough clarity to take the next meaningful step.
At Barker Business Services, goal setting is not about filling your calendar with more things to do. It is about helping you get clear, choose what matters and turn that choice into realistic action.
Before you carry another goal into a new month or a new year, pause for a moment.
Put it in a bubble.
Look at it honestly.
Then decide whether it still belongs in the future you are creating.
