I learned something very important about goal setting the other day, when I had to ask myself, “What’s the point of setting goals for myself that are always too high?” I even had to ask, “Do I set goals out of reach, in an effort to solidify my lack of faith in my own ability to achieve success?” 

Interestingly enough, I don’t think I consciously set goals too high, but I have noticed that my goals have been more than lofty; they have been unattainable.  

For example, I told myself that I wanted to sell 100 books in the month of February.  I wonder if my goal of 100 books was a way to prove to myself that I couldn’t do it.  I wonder if I used this opportunity to ramp-up my focus on books sales as a knife to hamstring any future ambition for success. 

Though that seems high, I told myself, that because I already had 3 book events scheduled for the month, I’d have no problem attaining that goal.  However, I didn’t take into account that I have no way to track (in real time) online book sales.  Therefore, I wont know if I have achieved my goal until May.  Also, if I try to sell all 100 books personally, I have to sell 33.333 books per event. 

And who’s going to buy 1/3 of a book???

So I took some good advice and I shortened my goal to 30 books in person, and an additional 20 online in spite of the fact that I will not know the online count until the summer.  Now I need to average 10 books per event.  But, I have already completed one event, were I sold 3 books…that’s right…3.  So I now have a goal of 27 books in two events…(seems like I have fractions in my future again…)

Nevertheless, this is an attainable goal.  My youth minister told me a long time ago, that my goals need to be:
1. Attainable
2. Measurable
3. Celebrated

I am excited about celebrating this win (Party invites will be in your mail boxes some time after July 4^th)

Success is about success, not blind ambition.