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When Goals Look Right on Paper But Don't Fit Anymore
At some point, most leaders realize they're carrying goals that no longer fit.
A role that once felt aligned. A strategy that made sense at the time. A commitment that looked right on paper.
And yet, something feels off.
You can't quite name it, but you know: this doesn't fit anymore.
Maybe the market shifted. Maybe the organization evolved. Maybe the goal was set in a different season when different things mattered.
Whatever the reason, the goal that once made sense now feels like friction. And yet, it stays.
A role that once felt aligned. A strategy that made sense at the time. A commitment that looked right on paper.
And yet, something feels off.
You can't quite name it, but you know: this doesn't fit anymore.
Maybe the market shifted. Maybe the organization evolved. Maybe the goal was set in a different season when different things mattered.
Whatever the reason, the goal that once made sense now feels like friction. And yet, it stays.
Why They Stay Anyway
Goals that no longer fit often stay in place because of sunk cost, expectation, or identity.
"We've already invested too much."
The time. The budget. The reputation.
The energy your team has poured into making this work.
Walking away feels like waste. It feels like admitting defeat. So you keep going.
You keep pushing.
You keep trying to make it work, even when the path no longer makes sense.
The energy your team has poured into making this work.
Walking away feels like waste. It feels like admitting defeat. So you keep going.
You keep pushing.
You keep trying to make it work, even when the path no longer makes sense.
"It would look like quitting."
Internally or externally, changing direction might be perceived as weakness.
As instability. As a lack of follow-through.
You worry about what the board will think. What the team will think. What the market will think.
So you stay the course, even when the course is no longer serving you.
You worry about what the board will think. What the team will think. What the market will think.
So you stay the course, even when the course is no longer serving you.
"We should be able to push through."
Grit is valued. Persistence is praised. Resilience is rewarded.
And sometimes, pushing through is the right move. But sometimes, the friction is a signal. A sign that reality has shifted and the goal needs to shift with it.
The problem is, it's hard to tell the difference at the moment.
And sometimes, pushing through is the right move. But sometimes, the friction is a signal. A sign that reality has shifted and the goal needs to shift with it.
The problem is, it's hard to tell the difference at the moment.
The Cost of Holding On Too Long
When you hold onto goals that no longer fit, the cost shows up in ways you might not immediately connect.
Energy drains faster.
Your team is working hard, but the work doesn't feel generative. It feels like maintenance. Like keeping something afloat instead of building something forward.
Morale starts to slip. People start to disengage.
Morale starts to slip. People start to disengage.
Focus fractures.
When a goal doesn't fit, it creates friction everywhere it touches. Decisions take longer. Conversations circle. Progress stalls.
Your team spends more time managing the misalignment than actually making progress.
Your team spends more time managing the misalignment than actually making progress.
Opportunity cost compounds.
When a goal doesn't fit, it creates friction everywhere it touches. Decisions take longer. Conversations circle. Progress stalls.
Your team spends more time managing the misalignment than actually making progress.
Your team spends more time managing the misalignment than actually making progress.
What Leadership Looks Like When It's Working
Strong leadership isn't about clinging to what once worked.
It's about recognizing when something no longer fits and having the courage to adjust.
Strong leadership designs for reality instead of defending an outdated plan.
The best leaders don't avoid change. They anticipate it. They design for it. They build rhythms that allow for regular recalibration before the friction becomes a crisis.
They ask hard questions. They create space for honest conversation. They give the team permission to name what's not working without fear of being seen as disloyal or weak.
And when reality shifts, they adjust. Not impulsively. Not reactively. But intentionally.
Strong leadership designs for reality instead of defending an outdated plan.
The best leaders don't avoid change. They anticipate it. They design for it. They build rhythms that allow for regular recalibration before the friction becomes a crisis.
They ask hard questions. They create space for honest conversation. They give the team permission to name what's not working without fear of being seen as disloyal or weak.
And when reality shifts, they adjust. Not impulsively. Not reactively. But intentionally.
Three Questions for Your Next Leadership Meeting
If you're wondering whether your goals still fit, start by working through these three questions with your leadership team.
What are we holding onto out of habit rather than alignment?
Look at your current goals, initiatives, and commitments.
Which ones are still serving the mission? Which ones are moving the organization forward?
And which ones are being maintained out of momentum? Out of expectation? Out of the discomfort of letting go?
Which ones are still serving the mission? Which ones are moving the organization forward?
And which ones are being maintained out of momentum? Out of expectation? Out of the discomfort of letting go?
Which priorities still reflect who we are and where we're going?
Revisit your vision. Your values. Your strategic direction.
Does your current work ladder up to it? Or has your organization evolved while your goals stayed static?
Sometimes the organization changes faster than the goals do. You hire new people. You enter new markets. You learn new things.
But the goals you set two years ago don't reflect that evolution.
Does your current work ladder up to it? Or has your organization evolved while your goals stayed static?
Sometimes the organization changes faster than the goals do. You hire new people. You enter new markets. You learn new things.
But the goals you set two years ago don't reflect that evolution.
What would it look like to release what no longer fits our reality?
This is the hardest question. But it's also the most important.
What would free up if you let go of the wrong goal? Energy? Budget? Focus? Morale?
Often, the cost of holding on is higher than the cost of letting go. But we don't realize it until we name it.
What would free up if you let go of the wrong goal? Energy? Budget? Focus? Morale?
Often, the cost of holding on is higher than the cost of letting go. But we don't realize it until we name it.
A Quarterly Practice
This isn't a one-time conversation. It's an ongoing rhythm.
Keep a running list of what drains energy without delivering results. Revisit it every 90 days.
You'll start to see patterns. You'll notice which goals consistently create friction. Which initiatives consistently underdeliver.
Schedule a 90-minute session with your leadership team once a quarter. Come prepared with your current goals written out.
Walk through each goal and ask: Does this still fit?
If the answer is yes, keep going. If the answer is no, ask: What would it take to let this go?
End the session by identifying one goal to release or redesign in the next quarter.
Over time, this rhythm builds a culture of recalibration. A culture where adjusting isn't seen as failure. Where letting go isn't seen as weakness.
Keep a running list of what drains energy without delivering results. Revisit it every 90 days.
You'll start to see patterns. You'll notice which goals consistently create friction. Which initiatives consistently underdeliver.
Schedule a 90-minute session with your leadership team once a quarter. Come prepared with your current goals written out.
Walk through each goal and ask: Does this still fit?
If the answer is yes, keep going. If the answer is no, ask: What would it take to let this go?
End the session by identifying one goal to release or redesign in the next quarter.
Over time, this rhythm builds a culture of recalibration. A culture where adjusting isn't seen as failure. Where letting go isn't seen as weakness.
Recalibration Is Strength
There's no reward for maintaining goals that drain energy or create friction.
There is strength in recalibrating with intention.
Organizations that stay aligned don't avoid change.
They design for it.
They build rhythms that allow for regular evaluation and honest conversation about what's working and what's not.
The goal isn't perfection.
The goal is alignment.
And alignment requires honesty, courage, and the willingness to adjust when reality shifts.
There is strength in recalibrating with intention.
Organizations that stay aligned don't avoid change.
They design for it.
They build rhythms that allow for regular evaluation and honest conversation about what's working and what's not.
The goal isn't perfection.
The goal is alignment.
And alignment requires honesty, courage, and the willingness to adjust when reality shifts.
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