4 Hidden Problems That Sabotage Your Goals—and How to Fix Them

Last week, we worked on defining your vision for 2025, setting a strong foundation for the year ahead. Now, we’re diving deeper to reveal why traditional goal-setting often fails and how our approach at Argent Alpha addresses these pitfalls.

You’ve set goals in the past—maybe even with the best intentions—but somewhere along the way, that momentum fades. By the time February rolls around, you’re back to where you started. Why does this keep happening?

Here’s the thing: most goal-setting systems are flawed because they fail to connect to who you’re becoming. They’re either too rigid, too vague, or worse—both. They don’t account for the inevitable setbacks life throws at you. And when your goals don’t adapt to the obstacles you face, you get stuck.

You might think your goals are the problem. But it’s not the goals—it’s the system you’re using to achieve them.

Why Traditional Goal-Setting Fails

Let’s take a look at some of the common pitfalls in traditional goal-setting approaches:

1. Uninspiring Goals: Most systems fail to connect goals to a compelling vision of the future, leaving you unmotivated. Without a deep reason to drive you forward, goals can feel more like obligations than sources of energy. If the goal doesn’t inspire you, it’s only a matter of time before you start to lose momentum.

2. Accountability Gaps: When goals are private or unshared, there’s no reason to stay committed when things get tough. A lack of accountability creates an easy “out” when obstacles arise, and without someone or something to keep you on track, it’s easy to drift back to old habits.

3. Rigid Expectations: Traditional goal-setting tends to have a one-size-fits-all approach. When life doesn’t go according to plan, rigid goals make you feel like you’ve failed. This “all-or-nothing” mentality doesn’t allow for the natural ups and downs that life throws at you. Goals that can’t adapt to change are goals that won’t last.

4. Unprepared for Setbacks: Traditional systems focus only on the positive without preparing you for the challenges. But let’s face it—setbacks happen, whether it’s unexpected work projects, family obligations, or health issues. Without a plan to address these obstacles, most people get derailed at the first sign of difficulty.

How Argent Alpha Solves These Common Goal Problems

Our approach fixes these issues by building in excitement, accountability, flexibility, and resilience. Through SMARTER Goals, ABC(D) paths, and Anti-Goals, we offer a framework that doesn’t just help you achieve your goals—it prepares you to succeed no matter what comes your way.

1. SMARTER Goals: Making Goals Exciting and Accountable

Most people are familiar with the SMART framework—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. But this leaves out two critical components that drive success: Excitement and Reporting.

• Excitement (E): Goals should light you up. When goals align with the person you’re striving to become, they become a source of energy rather than obligation. This is where the E in SMARTER comes in—by connecting your goals to your vision and future self, you create a strong “why” that keeps you motivated through any challenge.

• Reporting (R): Accountability is essential for staying on track. The R in SMARTER stands for “Reported”—because goals shared with an accountability partner or coach make it far harder to quit. Regular check-ins provide motivation, guidance, and course correction, keeping you aligned with your goals. For a deeper dive on the power of reporting, read issue #106 about the 95% Success Formula.

With SMARTER goals, you’re setting objectives that inspire you and creating a structure that ensures you stay on track.

2. ABC(D) Goals: Three Ways to Win, One Way to Lose (By Choice)

What happens when you don’t achieve your goals? Traditional systems often leave you with just one option: failure. But with our ABC(D) approach, you have three ways to win and only one way to lose—and that path is entirely by choice.

Here’s how it works:

• A (Ambitious Goal): This is your bold, stretch goal. It’s the big, exciting target that pushes you outside of your comfort zone. This is the goal that forces growth, challenges your limits, and moves the needle on your progress.

• B (Baseline Goal): Your baseline goal keeps you consistently on track. It’s the steady, achievable goal that ensures you’re making progress, no matter what life throws at you. When you hit this goal, you’re still moving forward.

• C (Minimum Viable Achievement): Sometimes life throws a curveball. The C goal is your fail-safe. It’s the non-negotiable action you take no matter what. Even on the days when you’re too busy or the world is pushing back, hitting your C goal ensures you maintain momentum.

• D (Did Not Do): This is the only path to failure. If you choose not to do what’s necessary, that’s on you. The key to this approach is that you always have a way forward. The D option is your choice, and you only lose when you decide to quit.

With ABC(D), you have flexibility in how you achieve your goals. You’re not locked into a rigid path; you’re empowered to pivot, adjust, and keep moving forward, no matter what.

ABC(D) goals help you stay in the GAIN and measure progress from where you started. ABC(D) goals also help you avoid falling into the GAP - the distance from your goal. Measuring backwards from today to where you started is a powerful way to stay committed to your goals.

3. Anti-Goals: Planning for Obstacles, Not Just Success

Now, let’s talk about anti-goals—the missing piece in most traditional goal-setting frameworks. While traditional goal-setting encourages you to focus solely on what you want to achieve, we encourage you to take a different approach: what do you want to avoid?

Anti-goals involve identifying behaviors, habits, or situations you want to stay away from. They create guardrails that keep you on course, protecting your progress. Here’s how they work:

• Avoid common pitfalls: This can include things like eating out multiple times a week, skipping workouts, or ignoring rest days.

• Prepare for common setbacks: Identify obstacles that could derail you—whether it’s travel, temptations around food and alcohol, or a demanding work schedule.

By proactively defining these anti-goals, you have a roadmap for what to avoid, keeping you resilient and prepared when challenges arise.

For more on the concept of anti-goals, we recommend checking out the work of Sahil Bloom, who’s written extensively on this topic: The Power of Anti-Goals.

Putting It All Together: A Real-Life Example with Tom

Meet Tom, a 59-year-old retail executive who used to be a pretty good athlete. Over the years, though, he’s put on weight and recently received some bad news from his doctor. His biomarkers are off, and he’s on a collision course with the “sickcare” system if he doesn’t make a change.

Tom’s Starting Point:

• Weight: 222 lbs

• Height: 5’11”

• Body Fat Percentage: 29.8%

• Skeletal Muscle Mass: 89.3 lbs

• Total Fat: 66 lbs

Tom’s goal is to reach 15% body fat by his 60th birthday and to increase his skeletal muscle mass by 3 lbs. Here’s how we helped Tom use the SMARTER, ABC(D), and Anti-Goals frameworks to set himself up for success:

Tom’s SMARTER Goal:
Goal: Achieve 15% body fat and add 3 lbs of muscle by his 60th birthday.

• S (Specific): Reach 15% body fat and increase skeletal muscle by 3 lbs, as measured by an InBody scan.

• M (Measurable): Bi-weekly weigh-ins and monthly body scans.

• A (Achievable): Based on his current health and routine, this goal is ambitious but realistic.

• R (Relevant): Tom’s goal aligns with his desire to live a healthier, more active life as he ages.

• T (Time-Bound): By his 60th birthday in one year.

• E (Exciting): Tom’s excited about the idea of becoming stronger and healthier in his 60s. His future self is fit, healthy and active.

• R (Reported): He’s committed to sharing his progress with an accountability partner within the Argent Alpha community.

Tom’s ABC(D) Path:

Tom is playing the long game and looking at his goal from two perspectives: the time it takes to achieve his goal and milestone body fat percentages. This flexible approach helps Tom stay in the GAIN.

Quarterly Milestone Goals (fixed time, variable body fat percentage). Each quarter will be adjusted based on actual performance.

Overall Timeline to Achieve 15% Body Fat (fixed body fat%, variable time):

• A Goal: 40 weeks

• B Goal: 46 weeks

• C Goal: 52 weeks

Tom’s Anti-Goals:

• Avoid eating out more than once a week.

• Eliminate alcohol on weeknights.

• Avoid missing workouts—no more than two missed workouts per month.

• Avoid keeping junk food in the house.

• Avoid neglecting sleep, ensuring at least 7 hours a night.

Next Steps: Make This Year Different

Now that you have a framework for creating exciting, accountable, flexible and resilient goals, it’s time to take action. Here’s your challenge:

1. Define Your SMARTER Goal: Make it specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound, exciting, and accountable.

2. Set Your ABC(D) Path: Identify three ways to succeed and only one way to fail—by choice.

3. Establish Your Anti-Goals: Proactively avoid the behaviors, habits, and situations that could derail you.

2025 is your year—don’t go it alone. Join us at Argent Alpha and tap into a community that’s driven to see you succeed. Let’s make it happen together.

Previous issues in our 2025 planning series:

Issue #109 Pros Start Today, Amateurs Wait for ‘Someday’—Which One Are You?
Issue #110 The Hidden Power of Looking Back Before Moving Forward
Issue #111 Don’t Leave 2025 to Chance: Define Your Future Today