{"id":75398,"date":"2022-08-24T23:20:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-25T03:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=75398"},"modified":"2022-09-07T11:44:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T15:44:53","slug":"review-your-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/review-your-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Review Your Goals: Are You on the Right Path?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why is it that after having achieved a big goal, many people feel unfulfilled? Why is it important to regularly re-evaluate your goals? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From time to time, it’s important to pause and reflect on whether the goal you are pursuing is still desirable. Committing to regularly reconsidering your life goals means that you may change course multiple times, but it will prevent you from pursuing the wrong path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s why it’s important to regularly review your goals, according to Adam Grant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Why You Should Re-evaluate Your Goals <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may have set your sights on a specific goal early on in life, without considering whether or not this goal fits what you want out of life<\/a>. Parents and teachers often encourage this, but when you form your life goals too early, they can become a core part of your identity.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, you become resistant to reconsidering your goals because doing so would threaten who you are<\/a> as a person. Instead, when it occurs to you that you may be on the wrong path, you may feel threatened\u2014you\u2019ll double down and commit to working even harder to achieve the wrong goals<\/a>. This, of course, only serves to push you even further down an undesirable life path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In Range,<\/em><\/a> David Epstein supports Grant\u2019s conclusions about the negative effects of early adoption of goals and argues that parents and educators need to break away from the presumption that pursuing a specific path early in life will provide you with a ticket for success. Epstein says that parents and educators should instead facilitate opportunities for young people to try many different activities and subjects so that they can make informed choices about the goals they would like to pursue<\/a>.)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continually Re-evaluate Your Path<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To avoid getting stuck on a life path you don\u2019t want to follow, Grant suggests that you review your goals periodically on your own or with a partner, mentor, or friend. Put a reminder on your calendar to do this once or twice a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During these check-ins, ask yourself: <\/p>\n\n\n\n