Just before sitting down to work up this post, I made a list of all the things that I want to do before leaving the office today. It has 15 items on it. And it’s 4 p.m. And I have to leave in 30 minutes.

Am I going to get all things done? No way. Am I setting myself up for failure? Yes, according to today’s Tools and Tips column on NFIB.com.

Just like me and my lengthy to-do list or a dieter who wants to lose 20 pounds in two months, small-business owners have a tendency to set lofty goals—so unattainable that even conquering part of it ends up looking like a failure.