After defining a short-, medium-, and long-term goal, it is time to review and determine if each step of that plan is bulletproof.  This is the realty check. It is tempting, and natural, when goal planning to assume that everything will go perfectly. This means that we do not consider potential obstacles (“what if my car gets a flat tire?” “what if I catch the flu?). I always advise clients to plan for the worst and hope for the best. For example, planning how much exercise we can do on a day when we have to work overtime or are sick can ensure those setbacks don’t turn into roadblocks. In budgeting, how much money could we save if we had to fix a flat tire to go to the doctor?

Considering what setbacks we may face on our journey helps to adjust goals so that they are realistic to our most pessimistic selves. When we imagine things going horribly wrong, does our plan still allow us to reach our goal? I find that time expectations are usually the key to making that answer be “yes.” For example, paying off all debt in a year may require perfection and no setbacks, but paying off all debt in five years allows for setbacks. On weight, losing twenty pounds in two months may require an unsustainable diet, versus losing twenty pounds in four months and keeping it off for a year. Allowing yourself time to have a life while working toward goals prevents burnout. Extra time also accounts for unforeseen setbacks. Giving yourself room to explore different methods and ways of living while working toward your goals also minimizes burnout and feelings of being trapped. Adding “slack” time to our goal timeline often helps to create bulletproof goals.