Don't stop setting personal targets

I read the other day that MIND that really excellent charity working with and on behalf of people with mental illnesses, was warning people about the dangers of setting themselves new years resolutions. The argument ran that by setting targets people very often suffer from low self esteem leading to depression when the targets are not met.

Now I would accept the need to be realistic about personal targets but surely, for a lot of us, this is how personal and organisational progress is made. I am sure that the people at MIND would accept this but I hope that in the same way that competitive sport for children is seen by some as damaging - because somebody is going to lose - we don't see a set of warnings that setting personal targets is bad for your mental health.