The Enemy of Success by Alvin Z. Bolaños

The greatest enemy of success is when one fails to set goals. Without goals, a person will not be successful because the first step towards success is to have clear goals. Identifying goals requires the following:

1. Clear Goals
2. Write it down
3. Be Specific
4. Time-Bound

Let us learn from the mistakes of people who fail to set goals. Here are the most common problems why people don't succeed.

1. "I don't need to set goals. People are successful because they are destined to become successful!"

A lot of people fail to realize that success is a result of an attainment of a worthy goal in life. It is so important that goals are the foundation of a successful life. More often than not, people who fail to set goals grew up in an environment where setting goals are not given importance. The value of setting goals must be experienced at home where one spends most of his/her time. If you always see people who are not attaining goals, you may be influenced by their lives. If you do not hear people not having clear goals in life, you might think that goals are not that important. Hence, you might be breathing "bad influence" in your life.You have to immediately identify this influence in your set of experiences when you are growing up and do something about it. Who are the persons who greatly influenced you in decision making? How many in your family and friends are actually having clear goals?

Remember: Goals = Clear, Written, Specific, Time-Bound

2. "I never learned how to set clear goals in life. It was not taught in school."

Having clear goals in life is not a subject that you have to learn in school. The worst scenario is that in the school or in the family, you might have caught the wrong notion of how to set goals. Statements like, "I want to be happy in the future," or "I want to become rich," or "I want to have a happy family," are statements which are not really goals. Everybody has these statements and since this common, it doesn't help you attain any goal. Hence, these statements are really
empty wishes and dreams.

A goal is something very different from a mere wish. It must be clear, written, specific and time-bound. you can actually describe it to another person with clarity.You can actually measure the time of success because you have a specific time you want to achieve it.

Schools often determine the rate of success after many years especially when you hear these statements: "You will be successful in the future, if you study well," or
"You can achieve success when you graduate from college." They are actually presenting that success is immediately acquired after having done all the requirements of the school. Although, learning is very important, goal setting is already making clear to your mind what you really want to achieve in life. Success is readily available for those who have clear goals in life. A lot of students have studied in the best universities and colleges but most often than not only a few have discovered the secret of goal-setting.

3. "I do not set goals because I am afraid of failure."


Many individuals are afraid of setting goals in life because they are so afraid of failure. The greatest emotional pain is the pain of failure. Many individuals fail to realize that success is also the result of learning from the many failures in life. It is only when you make failures as stepping stones towards success that you realize its importance. You will meet challenges and even opposition if you really want to attain your goals but the key to success is to focus on the goal not on the failures. Successful people are those who kept their gaze on the goals they set upon themselves not on the failures.


4. "I am afraid of being rejected by others."

The fear of rejection is one of the main reasons why people don't want to set goals. A lot of people are afraid because if they had set goals and they did not succeed, they will receive a lot of negative comments and criticisms. Others will simply put you down for not being able to achieve something.The way to handle this problem is when you set a particular goal, you don't have to share it with a lot of people. You may share it to your most trusted friend or partner but never say it to a lot of people. Let them see the results. You don't have to tell everyone what your goal is. Tell only the people who can actually help you achieve the goal. Focus only on people who will provide you with the things necessary for you to achieve your goal.