Whenever I set a goal, I usually fall into one of three categories:
- I take consistent steps and make steady progress.
- I get excited, but never start.
- I start strong, then fall off the wagon.
Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. A lot of us struggle with follow-through, and it’s not always because we lack motivation or discipline. Sometimes, it’s because we’re unknowingly setting ourselves up for failure.
For the longest time, I thought my inconsistency was a willpower issue. But I’ve learned that reaching your goals isn’t always about working harder or waiting for the “right time”—because let’s be real, there’s never a “perfect” time to start. My biggest mistake was in how I was setting my goals in the first place.
If you’ve been stuck in a cycle of setting goals and abandoning them, keep reading. I’m breaking down five mistakes I used to make—and how shifting my approach helped me finally follow through.
Lessons Learned from Poor Goal-Setting
My goals were too vague.
Years ago, I told myself I was going to “lower inflammation in my body.” This sounded great in theory, but it was open-ended and subjective. What did it mean? Changes in lab results? Less bloating? More energy? Because I never defined what success looked like, I had no real direction – and, unsurprisingly, no progress.
A goal should be specific enough that you know exactly what you’re working toward. Instead of “lower inflammation,” I refined my goal to “reduce my thyroid antibodies to X.” Now, I had a clear, measurable outcome to track.
My goals were focused on results instead of habits.
Even after getting specific, my goal was still results-based, and that was another problem. The challenge with results-driven goals is that they don’t guide action.
I knew I wanted to lower my thyroid antibodies, but how? Cut out sugar? Sleep more? Meditate? The number of possibilities overwhelmed me, leading to analysis paralysis and doing nothing at all.
Instead of focusing solely on results (which I couldn’t fully control), I shifted my focus to daily behaviors (which I could). So my goal evolved into “consistently choose gluten-free meals and snacks to lower thyroid antibodies to X.” Now, I had a measurable outcome to track and a repeatable action to take—one that put the power back in my hands.
I had all-or-nothing thinking.
There was a moment when I gave into one gluten craving and spiraled. I was sobbing on the floor, convinced I’d failed. Because if I messed up once, what was the point in continuing? At this moment, I realized that perfectionism was sabotaging me.
Think of hiking a trail. When the path gets steep, your legs burn and the climb feels tough. But, you don’t just turn around and quit. You slow your pace, take a quick rest, grab a hiking stick, and keep going until you reach that breathtaking view at the top.
Goal-setting works the same way. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to keep going. Setbacks aren’t proof that you can’t reach your goal. They’re opportunities to adjust and keep moving forward.
My expectations were unrealistic.
When I decided to eliminate gluten, I figured I’d just quit cold turkey. Sounded easy enough—until I was crying over a garlic knot, wondering how I was supposed to survive without bread.
I set the bar way too high, way too fast. And when I struggled with overwhelm, I saw it as failure instead of a sign that I needed a more gradual approach.
It was helpful to scale back, meet myself where I was, and focus on the first step. Instead of swearing off all gluten immediately, I started by choosing gluten-free pasta first. Then, over time, I phased out other sources. This gave me small wins, built momentum, and made the transition sustainable.
My goals didn’t align with my values.
Many people are busy chasing goals that don’t actually matter to them. We set goals based on what we think we should want—lose weight, get a promotion, buy a house. We rarely pause to ask ourselves if the goal aligns with what’s truly important to us.
My initial “why” for going gluten-free was to avoid medication. But that wasn’t a strong enough reason to keep me committed. When I dug deeper, I realized my real why: I wanted to prepare my body for a healthy pregnancy someday. I wanted to have the energy to run around with my nieces and be present with my family. This deeper connection to my values kept me anchored, especially when my motivation fluctuated.
If you’re struggling to stick to a goal, ask yourself: why does this matter to me? If your reason doesn’t light a fire in you, it may not be the right goal, or it may need to be reframed.
It’s okay if you’ve been struggling to follow through with your goals—don’t throw in the towel just yet. Your approach might just need a bit of tweaking.
Instead of walking away from your goals, take a step back and assess them through the five perspectives I’ve shared in this article.
- Is my goal specific enough?
- Am I focusing on habits instead of just results?
- Am I using setbacks to refine my goals and identify the resources I need?
- Are my expectations realistic?
- Does this goal truly align with my values?
Small changes can make a big difference. These adjustments might be exactly what you need to gain momentum, and see your goals through to the finish line.