This is the last day of Part 1: Reflecting on Previous Goals for our 31 Days of Goal-Setting challenge. Yesterday we looked at the unspoken, almost unconscious goals that we set for ourselves. Today, we ask: How have you been doing with these goals? Why do you think you failed or succeeded?

When you are evaluating your success or failure, and why you have or have not achieved these goals, another question you may want to ask yourself is, are these goals truly important to me? To what extent are they are priority?

My “unspoken” goals that I listed yesterday were eating well, keeping my apartment clean and neat, and having a reasonable sleep schedule. I am going to combine my responses for all three items.

For all three goals, I consider them important but I haven’t done nearly as well as I would like. The reasons form a cycle, one that I suspect is not unique to me:

1. I have failed at these goals in the past and am dubious about being able to achieve them.
2. I have a very hard time coming up with concrete ways to approach them, particularly because the straightforward measures I might use (eat X servings of veggies a day, go to bed at this time every night, etc.) seem too demanding and unrealistic for me to meet given my previous failures.
3. I do not make these goals explicit or part of my plan for the year, since I don’t have any clear plan for how to achieve them.
4. I don’t make much progress on achieving these goals since I don’t have any clear plan. I get even more discouraged about my chances of ever getting anywhere.

Tomorrow we’re going to start Part 2 of our 31 Days of Goal Setting – Considering Goal Categories. In preparation, think back over your answers from the previous six days. Have you noticed any patterns in the types of goals you set? Or the types of goals you find it easier or more difficult to attain? Do your goals accurately reflect the elements of your life that you consider important?

Part Two is all about evaluating where you want to be in terms of where you are now. See you tomorrow!