The #1 Biggest Mistake in Goal Setting (and how to avoid it)

In this blog, I’m sharing the biggest mistake I often observe with my coaching clients when it comes to goal setting.

I have been teaching Yoga, Ayurveda, and coaching in various areas for over a decade.

When I first became a yoga teacher back in 2014, my goal was to become a great yoga teacher. At the time, being a “great yoga teacher” meant mastering all the “advanced” yoga poses, just like the popular yoga teachers and influencers I followed on Instagram.

For many years, I also had another goal – to rise to a leadership position in my corporate career. After all, that’s what society tells us what “career progression” looks like – reaching a senior leadership role.

Neither of these goals materialized in the way I thought I wanted. And now I understand why. I was chasing someone else’s definition of success.

We live in a world filled with conflicting advice, endless demands, and constant pressures. It’s easy to lose ourselves in societal conditioning.

With the pressures placed on us daily by family, friends, colleagues and society, it often feels easier and safer to follow their expectations and to let their goals become our goals.

But what if you dig deeper?

What if you ask yourself what success truly looks like – not based on external validation, but rooted in your authentic desires?

Like your purpose and goals, your definition of success will naturally evolve as you grow and evolve. 

This is why I always check in regularly with my coaching clients to ensure they still feel aligned with their definition of success and goals.

Whether you’ve already set your New Year’s resolutions or are looking to gain clarity on what you want to achieve this year, the following journaling prompts will help you align your goals with your authentic inner desires.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

🖊️ What is your definition of success?

🖊️ I feel successful when…

🖊️ I would feel more successful if…

🖊️ Who do I need to be and what do I need to do, to create a successful life?

🖊️ What do I need to let go of?

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