Goal Setting — Why Vague Goals Lead to Vague Results

Setting goals can be difficult, but it can become impossible if you never actually set them.

Even worse than not setting them, I see people create these ambiguous targets that have no meaning, no definition, and no timeliness to them. Then they stress out because they feel like they're failing when in reality, they haven't even set a realistic target.

We've all heard the moniker of setting SMART goals — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. That's great if you're setting goals to appease your boss for an annual review document, but it's not always realistic as you're setting milestones in your career.

The issue I see is that people throw out these big goals and then get frustrated because time ticks by and they don't magically achieve them.

"Scott, I thought by now I would be successful." My response: "What does that mean? When did you say this? And why are you saying you're not?"

The reason is simple. We don't define the goals, we don't put a date on them, and in turn we can't figure out if we're doing well or not.

It's like playing a game with no scoreboard, no timer, and no rules, and then getting mad that you don't know if you're winning. That's what a lot of people are doing in their careers. They're waking up, doing the work, checking boxes, attending meetings, and hoping it all leads to something. But they never bothered to define what "something" actually is.

I hear people say things like, "I want to grow this year," or "I want more leadership exposure," or "I want to get paid what I'm worth." Cool. But what does that actually mean? How much money are we talking? What kind of exposure do you want? By when? And what exactly needs to happen for you to say, "Yes, I did that"?

Vague goals lead to vague results. And vague results lead to chronic dissatisfaction. That nagging feeling that you're behind? It's often just a symptom of undefined expectations. You're not actually behind — you just never built a finish line in the first place. So every time you make progress, it doesn't feel like progress.

But when you set clear targets, everything shifts. You stop spinning in your own head. You stop comparing yourself to everyone else. You stop chasing goals that were never really yours to begin with. And you finally start moving with purpose, not just motion.

If you're reading this and thinking, "Damn, I don't have clear goals," that's okay. Most people don't. But the fix isn't complicated.

Start small. Get specific. Write down what you want. Pick a date. Pick a number. Pick a title. Pick a feeling. Define success for you. Because if you don't, your brain will default to whatever success looks like on LinkedIn, or what your company celebrates, or what your family expects.

You're not failing. You just haven't been clear. And the moment you decide to define what winning looks like is the moment you give yourself a real shot at achieving it.