5 Goal busters to avoid

5 Goal-Busters to Watch Out For

You’ve set your goals, and you have a plan. You’re excited about what’s in store for the coming year.
But you have one problem: Along the way, you’ll no doubt come up against some obstacles that could throw you off course. The key is to expect them—to know these obstacles are out there so you’re ready when they plop down in front of you.
We call these obstacles “goal-busters.” Keep your eyes open for them. And, if you see one, don’t let it distract you. Just run right through it.

Negative People

You might know them as Debbie Downers or Negative Nellies. What you call them doesn’t matter. The key here is to steer clear of them when it comes to talking about your goals and plans for the year. Debbie Downers are like a wet blanket thrown over a flame. If your goal is to lose 100 pounds this year, they might say something like, “Oh, do you really think losing that much weight that fast is good for you?” Really, Debbie Downer? No, diabetes and heart disease at 45 is much more pleasant.

Sales, Sales, Sales

Who doesn’t love a good sale? The problem happens, though, when we start buying stuff simply because it’s on sale, not because it’s something we need. Sure, that 42-inch LCD flat screen might be on sale for $400, but if you only have $500 in your bank account, then that’s not a good deal for you! You make sales work for you when you use sales to purchase things you need. Yes, it’s true—you can have too much of a good thing.

The Snooze Button

You work full time. When you get home, it’s family time. After family time, it’s time to go to bed. When do you ever have time for yourself? As Jon Acuff says, “Be selfish at 5 a.m.” The snooze button could be your worst enemy in 2013 if that 30 extra minutes of sleep takes the place of time you could use to pursue your dream—say, writing a book or starting your own business. If you snooze, you lose!

Social Media

Don’t misunderstand us on this point: There’s nothing wrong with social media. We’re all over Twitter and Facebook and Pinterest. But social media can be incredibly addicting, and it can also be depressing if you use it as a way to keep up with the Joneses. Sometimes it’s easy to compare your life with how you perceive someone else’s life to be—based on a few photos or status updates. The comparison trap is a huge time-waster. Use social media to your advantage, but don’t let it turn into one big comparison game and time-waster.

The Beach

You can replace “beach” with “mountains” or “lake” or “Disney World.” The family vacation—the one that’s paid for with a credit card—is one of the main goal-busters (and budget-busters) out there. You might have the best of intentions right now, but when May rolls around and the kids are restless and you really feel like you deserve a treat after five months of managing your money, that’s when you have to watch out for this one. The last thing you need is a vacation that follows you around—in the form of bills—all year long. Terrible idea. Remember, the beach will still be there when you get out of debt.
Your list of potential goal-busters may look a little different. But, more than likely, you can relate with at least a few of these.
What are some other goal-busters to look out for this year?