There are many reasons, including:
1. A pessimistic attitude--Always seeing the pitfalls rather than the possibilities.
2. Fear of failure--What if I don't make it? People feel subconsciously that if they don't
set goals and if they don't make it, then they haven't failed. But they are failures to
begin with.
3. A lack of ambition--This is a result of our value system and lack of desire to live a
fulfilled life. Our limited thinking prevents us from progress. There was a fisherman
who, every time he caught a big fish, would throw it back into the river, keeping only
the smaller ones. A man watching this unusual behavior asked the fisherman why he
was doing this. The fisherman replied, "Because I have a small frying pan." Most
people never make it in life because they are carrying a small frying pan. That is
limited thinking.
4. A fear of rejection--If I don't make it, what will other people say?
5. Procrastination--"Someday, I will set my goals." This ties in with a lack of ambition.
6. Low self-esteem--Because a person is not internally driven and has no inspiration.
7. Ignorance of the importance of goals--Nobody taught them and they never learned
the importance of goal-setting.
8. A lack of knowledge about goal-setting--People don't know the mechanics of setting
goals. They need a step-by-step guide so that they can follow a system.
Goal setting is a series of steps. When you buy a plane ticket, what does it say?

Starting point Price
Destination Starting date
Class of travel Expiry date


If you ask most people what is their one major objective in life, they would probably
give you a vague answer, such as, "I want to be successful, be happy, make a good
living," and that is it. They are all wishes and none of them are clear goals. Goals
must be SMART:

1. S--specific. For example, "I want to lose weight."
This is wishful thinking. It becomes a goal when I pin myself down to "I will lose 10
pounds in 90 days."
2. M--must be measurable. If we cannot measure it, we cannot accomplish it.
Measurement is a way of monitoring our progress.
3. A--must be achievable. Achievable means that it should be out of reach enough to
be challenging but it should not be out of sight, otherwise it becomes disheartening.
4. R--realistic. A person who wants to lose 50 pounds in~30 days is being unrealistic.
5. T--time-bound. There should be a starting date and a finishing date.
Goals can be:
1. short-term--up to one year.
2. mid-term--up to three years.
3. long-term--up to five years.

Goals can be longer than five years but then they become a purpose of life. And
having a purpose is very important because without one, it is possible to develop
tunnel vision, where we are only obsessed with achieving our goals. Goals are more
easily achieved if they are broken into small ones.

Life is hard by the yard,
but by the inch,
it's a cinch.
--Gean Gordon culled from higher everyday http:///1mp1zpo