We often have multiple goals and projects going on at the same time. “Goal shelving” is taking a temporary break from certain goals so that we can focus on what matters most in our current situation.
It’s natural for our goals and priorities to change over time.
The truth is the majority of goals we set for ourselves never get accomplished. A part of that is human weakness, but another part of it is we think of ideas a lot faster than we can act on them.
We all have limited time, money, resources, and willpower, so it’s nearly impossible to achieve every single goal we think of.
In your own life, you can likely think of multiple goals you’ve had over the years that you simply never followed through on.
Again, that’s expected – it happens to everyone. It’s not something to be ashamed of, just something to be aware of.
While popular advice says “Stick with your goals,” and “Never give up,” the truth is sometimes it makes sense to quit your goals in certain situations.
That can be a painful realization, but it’s sometimes the smartest choice.
If you’re short, middle-aged, with a job and family, you’re likely not going to be able to fulfill that childhood dream of becoming a professional NBA player.
I don’t like to say anything is impossible, but there are real limitations and restrictions that exist in our world and we have to accept them to live our best life possible.
The good news is that there are still plenty of goals you can achieve. You just have to focus on what matters to you and what’s in your power.
But to achieve any goal, you often have to temporarily put other goals on the backburner.
Goal Shelving: When to Put Projects on the Backburner
When we have multiple goals, they are all competing for our time, attention, and energy.
Due to this, we need to choose which goals to pursue and which to put on hold.
What happens when a current goal of yours isn’t a top priority anymore?
Perhaps your life is going through a major change – or you’re discovering it’s just not the “right time” to pursue something? Or another goal has popped up that’s more important?
One interesting study published in the scientific journal Motivation and Emotion looked at the different ways people respond when their goals are in conflict.
They identified two main approaches:
- Goal Disengagement – Permanently withdrawing from a goal.
- Goal Shelving – Temporarily withdrawing from a goal.
Both strategies are useful when goals aren’t currently realistic and attainable, because they allow you to shift your time and energy to more important things.
However, when individuals used “goal shelving,” they were able to resolve the conflict of limited time and resources while not paying as heavy of a toll emotionally.
Researchers say goal shelving allows people to “have their cake and eat it too.”
Instead of telling yourself, “I quit – I’ll never achieve this,” you think to yourself, “I’ll take a break – I can always go back to it later.”
It may seem like a trivial difference, but this shift in perspective keeps the door open and protects you from the pain of failure.
When I review my goal timeline each year, I usually find goals that I didn’t achieve or don’t currently want to pursue. I never completely take them off the table though.
At the very least, I have notes that I’ve recorded somewhere and saved for later. I’m free to go back to those projects at any time and pick up right where I left off.
My life is filled with unfinished projects. However, it’s not uncommon for me to go back to an unfinished article, or musical composition, or business idea, and do something productive with it (when the time is right).
No matter what your goals are, leave the door open for future success.
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