Goal setting: what makes some more successful than others?

I’ve been thinking a lot about goal setting and what makes some more successful than others. I think it is a pretty complex issue, but I love the simplicity of this info-graphic.

What do you want? That is the easiest part to answer.

How will you make it happen? There are lots of ways to reach a destination, so finding one that suits your lifestyle should be manageable (note that I didn’t say easy).

WHY do you want it? Bullseye. This is going to be the driving factor every time. If you “why” isn’t big enough, get a new why or get a new goal. This is the hardest part for most people. The goal has to have a foundation. For example.. With fat loss, you why may start out as something like fitting into specific jeans. But ultimately that won’t hold up for most. Dig deeper. Why do you want to fit in those jeans? Maybe it’s confidence, fitting in, competing against others, social acceptance, etc. Why does that matter to you? Maybe after you dig deep enough, your goal will change and that’s ok. Maybe it will be stronger and more clearly defined and that is the purpose of the exercise. Find a reason that matters enough to elicit real and lasting change.

What are your thoughts? Do you set clearly defined goals or are you more relaxed and hope for the best?