goal phobia [/ɡəʊl/ /ˈfəʊbɪə/]: An act of avoiding goals like the plague because they’re scary and useless.
I’m also perfectionist which is awesome and great!
Err. I’m also a procrastinator which doesn’t make for a good combination with perfectionism. (It takes me hours to do what you can probably do in a half).
Oh, and that’s not all because I’m also passionate which means that if I’m motivated enough, I can read a book in under 4 hours.
As all of that is relative, what you can take away is that goals don’t always help you in not losing focus. Or maybe that’s just me because I’m usually all ‘in your multiple faces, goals.’
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| The yellow bird knows stuff. (Source) |
Step One is Easy
Setting goals for yourself is the easiest part; staying focused and wanting to achieve said goals doesn’t come so easily. Especially when you’re known for your impulsiveness like I am.
Back in 2014, I was foolish and crazy (I’m still foolish and crazy, it’s just a different year so bear with me) when I wrote down ten bookish goals. Naturally, I failed in accomplishing all of them. It’s a real glass half full or half empty situation going on here.
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| That’s what I’ve been saying! (Source) |
Let’s focus on the fact that I’ve been wanting to read 100 books in a year since 2011 or so but I keep failing because that’s just how I roll. 2015 is the year that I’m finally not aiming for 100 in the back of my mind. I’m going for 75 and I’m sticking to that number and I might just fail again.
(Despite just proclaiming that I’m a goal-phobic).
Obviously, I’m not a goal-oriented person that I once aspired to be. It’s just that I like to push myself in at least one aspect of life. With goals. Ew.
You see, that’s the problem. Right now, I’m pretty positive about finishing series because I managed to finish five last year. I’m clearly one of those people who rely on their past accomplishments for the likelihood of future success. Yet when I set an actual goal of let’s say finishing ten series, you’re damn right I’ll fail. And fail so hard because I can’t handle quantification.
Tending Towards Failure
Every year in January, the one thing I get really, really excited about is setting up my Goodreads challenge (and anticipating what color it’ll be because that’s important). In other aspects of my life, I’m mostly with this squirrel.
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| I feel ya, squirrel. (Source) |
But then time passes and I go from feeling giddy over the feeling that I’d be able to accomplish my goals to procrastinating and losing all the patience and the passion I had for the goal. I end up feeling irked at myself and that’s no fun. It’s like I’m the squirrel again.
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| Both, but don’t pay attention to that. (Source) |
However, as the year closes in, I remember all the things I set out to do and go about trying to achieve them in the time frame that I originally went for. And let me tell you this, that never works because procrastination is better.
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| And sleeping. Never forget that. (Source) |
Shaking it Off
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| Shut it, turtle. (Source) |
So yes, ideally I’d like to cut goal phobia in half, before it cuts me in half. But I guess I’m still learning.
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| Encore. (Source) |
Oh gosh, I LOVED this post. Those comics are the best thing in the WORLD and I giggled quite a bit. I HEAR YA! Goal phobias are frustrating. I'm more of an over-achiever myself, so it's not enough to make a goal…I have to go above and beyond it. *gulps* So with reading 140% MORE than my goals last year, my brain is like saying, "Well, you'd better do better than that this year…." And I'm running away screaming. XD
Thanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!
ME IN ONE POST. I HAVE GOAL PHOBIA. I HATE IT, HATE GOALS, HATE FAILING. I love procrastinating BUT I also love winning. I do. It's the high, I tell you. Or the sense of power. Point is, I'm competitive as hell and especially with myself. If I say I'm going to do 80 books this year, my mind is really telling me that I'm going to have to do 100. AND WHEN I LOSE I'M GOING TO CRY BECAUSE I FAILED. I think it's the sense of personal failure which gets me the most. I honestly don't give a hoot about what others think of it, but I think it matters the most to me what I think. Which I guess is the same with most people, yes? I ignored all those challenges this year (which was hard because like the past 3 weeks have been posts from people signing up to a million and one challenges and gah, the pressure). THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO BE ROPED INTO THAT. I don't even know why I went ahead and set a GR challenge. I'm feeling the pressure already. It says I'm one book ahead, BUT FOR HOW LONG????
I FEEL LIKE WE MIGHT BE THE SAME PERSON. Kinda like in Fight Club? (You read/watched that? It's us!)
Seripusly, I am exactly like this! All my feelings towards a goal I make vanish by the end because I exhaust myself from all the planning to get around to doing it. Smetimes, the plannin even evaporates the goal, making me think- do I need to waste my time here?
It's so frustrating that when I made my goals this year, I didn't put much thought to them. Just made them right on the spot and stopped thinking about them.
It's such an irony to be a perfectionist, a procrastinator, a goal phobic, and passionate about stuff(referring to me). I confuse myself most of the time. I also have traces of attention disorders so I can't focus on one activity for longer than two hours. Then again, if it's a book, I can be focused for longer.
Anyway, I just hope I don't feel the pressure of my reading goals. It happened with the 100 books last year and even though its 70 this year(Im not kidding, are we twins?), being a book behind might kill me. XD
Those cartoons aroie adorable! I do pretty decently with goals. I'm okay with doing them, and usually I succeed, and if I don't, it doesn't bother me much. With reading, I don't like to have too many goals – it'll feel like I'm being pulled in ten directions at once, having to finish this review book but also that review book and I also really need this other book for that challenge… You know what I mean 😀
Being a perfectionist and a procrastinator at the same time must be so hard sometimes. Also, I always get excited by the new Goodreads Challenge colour. I got way too happy from seeing that it was purple for 2015
Oh my gosh this post is spot on. Listing my goals is easy, but executing and sticking to it? *sighs* I fail miserably. Hmmm, come to think of it I guess I have goal phobia, too.
YES!!! On point. I'm decent at finishing my goals when it comes to work/school but if it's related to anything else, it's a differently story. I stopped setting reading goals for myself a long time ago since the last time I read around 100 books was in elementary school.
Oh goodness, goal phobia could be my middle name. Its the whole reason I didn't put up any new year resolutions in my post about new year. Because goals :0 Scary. I completely understand, Sana!We're all still learning 🙂
Also, if you're interested, I'm hosting my first ever giveaway, in order of it being new year and all, and here's the link if you would like to join in on the fun! http://symphofwords.blogspot.com/2014/12/merry-christmas-goodbye-2014-new-year.html
I hear you, Sana. Goal-phobic seems extreme in my case, but I'm definitely not someone who works well under the pressure of setting up major goals for myself for the year. Like you, if I'm focusing too much on what I MUST do, then I find that takes a lot of the fun out of it. I definitely have general sort of goals – nothing too specific – basically have fun reading, read more diversely, finish up some series and the like. Nothing like MUST finish 10 series this year because mehhh I'd probably just fail. And who wants that?
Oh my god these comic strips! BAHAHAHAHA this is me as well. I love setting goals for myself and planning on how I will achieve it and everything THEN I FAIL EPICALLY AT ACTUALLY PUTTING THAT GOAL INTO ACTION AND IT FRUSTRATES ME SO MUCH. Yes, I totally have this goal phobia.
Brilliant post, Sana! <33
Oh boy, I like setting goals but then I completely fail at most of them haha. I don't fear goals as much as I used to and failing them doesn't seem as bad anymore as long as the important ones are completed. Gah yes! Being a perfectionist and procrastinator at the same time is an absolute pain. Your comics are seriously on point though ;D
Haha, we're total opposites here. I LOOOOOVE setting goals for myself, and often I can only get stuff done if I set a specific goal for it. Other times, I get stuff done anyway but EH. GOALS <3
High-fiving you because it seems like I've found my twin.
I am SUCH a procrastinator. Probably the worst. Which is why I take such a long time to reply to comments and visit other blogs — because I keep. getting. distracted. Oh, and not to mention? I have a problem with laziness. I am so freaking lazy. Yes, I am frustrated at myself. Yes, I have thought about my life and have realized that it is pretty much rotten. Yes, I have done nothing about it.
I always do what the squirrel does (I think I've found my spirit animal, too): tell myself that the new year will be better, that I WILL get more hardworking, but a few weeks down the road? My resolve has been forgotten and I just sleep every afternoon like the lazy bum I am. And I feel you, too. If I'm really motivated about a goal or challenge, I just put so much effort into it that I forget to have fun. It's like from one extreme to the other and it's terrible.
I'm going to say, We can do this, Sana! and pray that I won't end up like the squirrel and do nothing (STAY POSITIVE, MEG, STAY POSITIVE!). The problem is that it takes a lot for me to be motivated. But once I am, I stay motivated for a long time. So I guess not all hope is lost, yet.
I must admit I had to read this post twice, because I got distracted by the funny comics and I lost track of what you were saying, hehe. Over the years I've found out that setting certain goals doesn't motivate me, but only makes me feel like a failure, so I stopped that. I'm just going with the flow. I used to say 'this is the year I'm going to work out once a week' but instead of feeling motivated to do so, I was starting to push it forward. Now I'm just doing it without the extra pressure.
It's different with reading. I like to challenge myself into doing more and if I don't achieve it, I really don't care. It's a hobby and nothing life changing if I make it or don't make it.
I hate goals. I am not participating in any challenges this year except my Goodreads one (100 books) because they stress me out and take all the fun away from reading. If I want to read a classic then I should be able to read a classic without thinking about the fact I need to read 11 more to reach a ridiculous goal I have set myself. I think goals for me lead to disappointment and so I avoid them.
Ha, very good post. Loved the pictures. I always feel so good about my goals in January, but the "goal high" wears off after a while. I try to set a goal that I think is doable so I don't feel the need to rush about it.
Oh, Lordy, could I have written this myself. I'm also a procrastinating perfectionist, and have entirely too lofty goals for a single person. I have this funny need to sleep, and work insists that I show up, and all these things that are totally the reason I'm not spanking the crap out of my goals. That's it, I know it.
Me too re: goal-phobic, perfectionist, procrastinator, and passionate (and perfectionist, which luckily I can turn off if sufficiently lazy) when sufficiently motivated. The pressure to develop goals does always make me feel a little more stressed than before. I don't do any reading challenges because of that.
"staying focused and wanting to achieve said goals doesn't come so easily. Especially when you're known for your impulsiveness like I am." — Yep. Me too. "Naturally, I failed in accomplishing all of them." — Me too. But I like that we can both admit to this about ourselves. And knowing your limitations though is a good thing re: finishing a bunch of different series; and in general. At least you're not oblivious to the cycle 'cause I bet that'd make it feel even worse, the frustration. I fall into the same rut you do re: patience and passion and feeling irked at yourself. And hahahah yes procrastination is better. Gosh, I want to link you to this great comic about procrastination, but I'm having such a hard time remembering where I'd seen it! I'll have to remember later… Then again, with you posting these awesome comics here, I bet you've already seen it.
Ah, shake it off. You just reminded me of the Taylor Swift song. Congrats on the custom bookshelf. Have you posted pics of it on instagram or here? Have I missed it? Well, I wish you luck on 75 books. I wish I had an answer to the goal-phobia, but I'm not so great at all this either. I really hope I don't have a moment later this year where I crash and burn, but that'll probably happen.
Squirrels, turtles, little bears. So cute!