Goals can always be a little tricky. For sure we need them, as they provide us a sense of direction and purpose in our own lives. However, everything between how to pursue them and what to do after achieving them is up in the air. But this goes especially for a pivotal question that some of us wouldn’t want to entertain much:

Should we change goals from time to time?

We don’t often entertain this for the sheer fact that self-help encourages us to push forward and to think positively about our own lives. We condition ourselves to look at failures as bad feelings and that we should be ashamed of them. Especially when our goals are right there.

But I’d argue against that. In fact, a viable strategy is to change goals on a regular basis. And all that is needed from you is to pay attention to the signs for when that change is at its most viable.

Whether it’s from dopamine overload or the goals themselves being boring or not that challenging, we do eventually hit a point where our success feels empty. I think it’s a natural part for us these days, especially as our culture encourages us to keep on pursuing grander and bigger things. A relentless pursuit is inspiring in its own way, but eventually we need time to rest, recharge, and refocus.

And this sign makes for an easy way to remind us to make some changes.

Like with all things, people change. We find inspiration in something, pursue it, and move on all the time. The goals that you had for a kid are, without a doubt, vastly different from what they are now, for example. And that’s not a bad thing. However, it’s key for us to lean into that.

Are your core values the same? Or has this recent success or journey changed it?

Are you still driven in the same fashion as before? Or have you started to lose steam and want to change gears?

Asking yourself reflective questions after a success or feeling these kinds of feelings is a smart move to make. It protects us from our worst impulses and ensures that the next goal we chase is something we want to chase.

Related: My video on why achievements are making you feel empty

Another byproduct of achievements feeling empty is the fact that goals, by their nature, are repetitive tasks. If you want to lose weight, you’re going to have to go for walks, do jogs, or hit the gym regularly. If you want a successful business, you’re going to have to work it every day. If you want to be a good writer or artist, you’ll need to practice that craft daily or several times a week.

Obviously, making that commitment alone isn’t enough of a sign that you need to change goals or anything. But there are even more subtle signs when something is becoming too repetitive and that changes should be made. Some that come to mind are things like:

• Your attitude towards the task has shifted downwards or has been an unhealthy obsession.
• You’re experiencing burnout
• You find yourself spending way more time dedicated to fulfilling this habit than usual.

There’s nothing wrong with finding a passion and something you can pour yourself into, but our lives are more than just fulfilling a few goals. Maintaining some balance with your life is key, and when your demeanour shifts dramatically from where it was at the start of your journey, it’s clear some changes need to be made.

Along a similar vein as the other signs, maybe you’ve experienced a setback with one or two of your goals. Whether this is after achieving goals or in the process of doing so, sometimes these sudden changes are a sign that maybe you need to be shifting gears a little bit.

This has certainly been the case in my own life, as I spent months building up my YouTube channel. It’s taken a dip for a while, as I’ve been looking for work in other areas, but it was clear that I needed to change goals and refocus on something else and put my channel on the backburner over this past summer. And for you, you might be in a similar spot where the vibes feel off about particular things.

The point is that it’s all okay and that you want to be paying attention to that. Furthermore, the vibes can be coming back as well so don’t feel like you need to dismiss goals entirely when you make changes.

Another thing that isn’t often brought up with goals is that goals love competing with one another. Even though we’re multi-faceted people with several desires, goals will always bump heads with one another. It’s the price we pay for having only so much time in a day and having several desires, obligations, and commitments.

Obviously, trying to seek balance for all of these things is ideal, but things aren’t always so simple. In the case of our goals, they can be so demanding of us that having those goals around is more detrimental to ourselves than the achievement we’d get from it. A prime example of this is career advancement, where some people get in their heads that they need to work excessively long hours in order to get it. This can feed into poor posture, worse eating habits, and ultimately affect your health and relationships.

When this sign shows up, it is wise to change goals and pivot to those areas that are being neglected. This doesn’t mean you need to abandon that goal entirely, but you need to break up the pattern and get your focus on something else that’s far more pressing.

To change goals is to change the direction of your life. It’s not always a turn of a chapter but more of a change in perspective. Change is something we shouldn’t fear, and that attitude should be connected to our own goals as well.

Of course, we don’t need to be making constant changes, but when something isn’t working out or feels off, we should be able to recognize it and give ourselves some boundaries. We should be able to reflect and look at whether pursuing something further at this point is a waste of our time or not.

Recognizing some of the signs on top of regularly checking in on ourselves is paramount for this, and doing so can make a huge difference in our lives. We just have to recognize it.