I’m sure you’ve heard of the saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Well, that’s what I used to always tell myself when I set unrealistic goals. It was something like this: “I want to be a millionaire,” or “I need to lose 10 pounds by this date,” or “I want a million followers on Instagram.”

These are all great examples of unrealistic goals because they have no specific time frame and don’t take into account how long something takes (or should take) in order for it to be successful.

So what are the consequences of setting unrealistic goals?

The inability to complete them

The most likely consequence of setting unrealistic goals is that you will not be able to complete them.

Goals are made up of two things: the action and the outcome. If you set a goal without considering how you will accomplish it, then there is no way for you to achieve it

In order for these types of goals to be able to be achieved, there needs to be some sort of plan put into place so that all aspects are accounted for and the end result can be achieved in an organized manner.

Having to cut corners

As you’re working toward your goals, you’ll want to ensure that the work done on them is high quality. If that’s not a concern of yours, you may find yourself cutting corners in order to meet unrealistic deadlines or get everything done at once.

Cutting corners can lead to poor quality work and missed deadlines, both of which can have consequences far beyond the scope of the project itself.

Cutting corners also means potentially missing opportunities because you didn’t have time or resources available when they presented themselves—and this could mean missing out on future revenue streams!

Having to work extra hard or long

If you set unrealistic goals, you will have to work harder and longer than you thought. In fact, that is the most likely consequence of setting unrealistic goals.

The reason for this is simple: if your goal is too far out of reach, it becomes more difficult for you to make progress toward achieving it.

In addition to that, because your goal was so far from reality in the first place—and since reality doesn’t bend around our wishes—you’ll also find yourself having to go above and beyond what’s required in order to get results.

Becoming frustrated and giving up early

But before you get too discouraged, remember that frustration is a normal part of life. If you’re not frustrated sometimes, it means that your goals are so easy that they aren’t pushing you to grow and improve.

So if this is your first time feeling frustrated with your goal, take heart in knowing that it’s probably a good sign—meaning it will help push you closer to success.

Frustration can be especially intense when we’re trying to achieve something really big (like making $1 million).

But even though the feeling may be intense at times, it doesn’t mean giving up on your dream forever; in fact, feeling frustrated simply means having higher expectations for yourself than what’s currently possible! It means having some hope for change and improvement in the future instead of just settling for where things stand now.

In order for this hope for change not turn into hopelessness or self-doubt when things don’t go as planned (as often happens), here are three strategies worth experimenting with:

Sometimes, a loss of self confidence if the goal is not met

If a goal is not met, it can affect self-confidence. This may be because the failure was obvious to others or because the goal was not attainable in the first place.

It may also happen when there are no other goals to replace it, leaving you feeling like nothing you do will ever work out for you.

The feeling of failure can be compounded if you are also trying to meet the expectations of others. You may feel like a failure, because you have let them down or let yourself down.

Unrealistic goals cause frustration and sometimes a loss of self confidence

The most common consequence of setting unrealistic goals is frustration. While it can be frustrating to have an idealistic vision for your life, it’s important to remember that the goal itself isn’t always bad—it’s only when you don’t know how to go about achieving it (or if there are other factors working against you) that frustration sets in.

If a goal is both realistic and achievable, but something stops you from reaching it, then there will be no reason for anger or disappointment.

Another common consequence of setting unrealistic goals is a loss of self confidence. In this scenario, it may seem as though accomplishing an unachievable goal would give one a sense of accomplishment; however, being unable to reach that goal can actually make one feel like they’ve failed at something important and worthwhile—and sometimes even worthless as a person altogether! The end result is often feeling disheartened about yourself or even depressed because the things which once made up part of your identity no longer apply anymore.”

Final Words

If you’re setting goals for yourself, it’s important to remember that they don’t have to be unrealistic. If you set realistic but challenging goals, you can still achieve them and feel good about what you’ve done.