At the beginning of the year, most people think about their goals for the year. However, this year, some people have decided not to set goals or set small ones because they want to avoid being disappointed when they do not accomplish their goals. Lately, I have been reflecting and talking to people about the barriers we face as we work on our goals. When we know what it is standing in the way of us accomplishing our goals, we can address them and be successful.

In this blog post, I will share the top ten reasons why we are not achieving our goals and living the lives we desire. At the end of this year, I want all of us to have accomplished all we planned to.

#1: We don't have a deep reason why we want to accomplish them
When we think about our goals, we should know why we want to accomplish them. Often, we set goals because we either feel that it is what we are expected to achieve or someone else has those goals. If you do not have a deep reason for why certain goals are important to you, it will be hard to work on them. The motivation that you need to accomplish your goals comes from you really wanting to accomplish them.

Questions to consider

• Are you setting a goal because everyone else has accomplished it or because you really want to accomplish it?
• How is your goal tied to your purpose in life?

#2: We set goals and do not plan activities to do every day towards accomplishing those goals
At the beginning of the year, we set these huge goals and then at the end of the year we expect to have accomplished them. We will be more successful if we plan activities and make time to work on them. Breaking down your goals into small tasks that you work on every day will help you accomplish your big goals.

Questions to consider

• What activities are necessary to accomplish your goals?
• What activities are you going to work on each day to make progress?

#3: We lack a good planning and review process
If you set goals at the beginning of the year and then abandon them, you will most likely not accomplish anything. It is crucial to have a plan for how you will work towards your goals. In addition, as you go through the year you want to make time to review your goals, reflect on the progress you have made and plan your next activities.

Questions to consider

• How often are you going to review your goals and the progress you are making?
• What are three things that you will do during your reviews?

#4: We take on too much and do not prioritize
Knowing the number and size of goals you can work on without feeling too overwhelmed and quitting is essential. While it is good to stretch yourself and try new things, there are some limits that you need to be aware of. Check in with yourself when you set goals to avoid doing too much at once. Setting good priorities is a great way to filter your list of goals and make time for the most important ones.

Questions to consider

• Do you have the time, energy, and resources to work on the goals you set?
• Are you working on the most important ones first?

#5: We do not celebrate our wins (including the small ones)
Working on goals throughout the year can be an exhausting process. Especially when you are working on big goals, it is particularly important to celebrate your wins. Being intentional about measuring your progress and celebrating your successes will give you the energy you need to accomplish your goals. I keep an accomplishments log that I can go to when I start feeling discouraged. Seeing how far I have come gives me hope for the future and keeps me going.

Questions to consider

• Do you write down your accomplishments?
• How will you celebrate your accomplishments this year?

#6: We have not equipped ourselves with the right tools
Thankfully, we live in a time when some great tools and resources can help us work on our goals. Personally, I ensure that I identify the tools that I need to be successful when I set my goals. One of the tools I use the most is my calendar. Now that I know how important seeing progress is for me, I make sure that I use the tools at my disposal.

Questions to consider

• What tools do you need to accomplish your goals?
• Do you have the needed tools at your disposal, or do you need to acquire them?

#7: We try to do it all on our own
Especially if you are working on big goals, it can feel isolating. Think about the people in your life who help you thrive. Over the past years, I have come to value my support community a lot. The support of women I trust to give me feedback and celebrate my progress has been pivotal. Surrounding yourself with people you can talk to about your goals and hold you accountable for taking action will help you accomplish more

Questions to consider

• Who is part of your support network?
• How will you get support from your community?

#8: We do not set goals for important parts of our lives
As humans, there are many facets and areas of our lives. To achieve balance in life, you need to set goals in all areas of your life where you want to make progress. I started feeling more accomplished when I set goals in all aspects of my life such as family, professional, finances, learning, and others.

Questions to consider

• Do you set goals in all important aspects of your life?
• What new area will you set a goal in for the year?

#9: We let setbacks stop us from trying new things
It is hard to continue doing something when you feel like you are repeatedly failing at it. Personally, I believe that when things do not go as planned, there is a message for me. It either teaches me some valuable lessons or is a signal for a change that I need to make. It is crucial to understand exactly what a setback means, pick yourself back up and continue working towards your goals.

Questions to consider

• What lesson did you learn from the last setback you experienced?
• How did you get back up and move on?

#10: We set small goals and limit ourselves
If you want to accomplish big things in your life, you need to start setting bold goals. Thinking about those goals might seem scary. However, when you write them down and start taking small steps, you will start to believe that you can accomplish them. I have made more progress on big goals when I commit to taking small actions one step at a time.

Questions to consider

• What big goals do you want to accomplish in 2021?
• How will you motivate yourself?

Great Resources
I really enjoy sharing knowledge about setting and accomplishing your goals. Check out some of my other blog posts that provide tips and tricks to help you thrive this year:

• Do you dare to do something great?
• How to do a Mid-year Goals Review
• Manage procrastination and achieve more
• Build your support community
• How to start celebrating your accomplishments

Time to reflect
Which two mistakes have you been making with regards to your goals?
What are you committing to do differently this year to set yourself up for success?

2021 is well underway, and we are already seven weeks into the year. Now is an excellent time to remind ourselves of what we are excited about and looking forward to experiencing. Having a positive outlook and plan will make great things happen in your life.
 
In this blog post, I will share five things that I am looking forward to this year.
 
Starting point: how I came up with my list
As I reflected on 2020 and prepared for 2021, I asked myself what would make me happy this year. At the end of 2021, I want to feel fulfilled and accomplished. Thinking about where I want to be will serve as a guiding light throughout the year. Some of the things that I am excited about include the following.
 
#1: Doing things that I did not do much of in 2020
With how unexpected things were in 2020, I noticed that I stopped doing some things that I love and help me make progress. It was important to me to restart some of those things. On my list so far, I want to do more of the following: listen to podcasts, read books, host mastermind groups, attend events virtually, coach, and connect with other women. I am looking forward to being energized again.
 
#2: Celebrating huge milestones
One of the things that I am looking to do more of in 2021 is celebrating my accomplishments. This year, I have many opportunities to reflect on my journey so far and appreciate how far I have come. In 2021, I will be celebrating two significant milestones. Firstly, 20 years of living abroad in 4 countries, 6 cities and a lot of learnings. Secondly, it will be three years of following my dream to launch my blog and two years of my YouTube channel. I have so much to be thankful for.
 
#3: Embarking on a New Journey
The birth of my son marked the start of a new journey for me. I am looking forward to exploring Motherhood and learning a lot. We all go through some significant life changes, and this is one of those changes for me. Watching my son grow and blossom will definitely bring me joy this year. I plan to enjoy all the moments with my family.
 
#4: Growing things that I built
Building a community of women who support one another has always been my dream. In 2020, with everything going on globally, I had to put many of the plans I had on hold. This year, I am committed to continue what I started and make new connections. I want to find new ways to bring together amazing women and celebrate their greatness. I am looking forward to helping women build the lives they desire.
 
#5: Doing new things that I have been afraid to do
When I set goals, I intend to set big ones. However, I find myself setting "safe goals" that I think I can achieve to avoid disappointment. This year I want to work on big goals that I have been too scared to commit to. I know that a lot of my growth this year will come from stretching myself and exploring things that I have not done before. I will be pushing myself to tell new parts of my story, offer new services in my business, work on new projects, and make bolder financial moves. At the end of the year, I want to say that I accomplished big things.
 
Final Thoughts
We have the opportunity to accomplish great things every new day or year that we are alive. As you go through the year, find those moments that give you hope and enjoy them.
As you accompany me on my journey this year, I would also like to be your companion on yours. Please share your plans and experiences with me.
 
Time for Reflection

• What are you looking forward to in 2021?
• What did you stop doing that you plan to restart in 2021?
• What are you planning to do differently in 2021?
• What new things are you going to start doing in 2021?
• How will you celebrate your accomplishments in 2021?

2020 was a year that we will all remember forever. At the beginning of 2020, I had no idea how the year will be for me personally and could not have imagined the changes in our world. A lot of people talk about wanting to forget everything about last year. Before we file the year away, I would like to take a short moment to reflect and highlight the learnings that I will be leveraging in 2021.

In this blog post, I will be sharing the top five lessons that I learned in 2020.

2020 in summary
Let me start with some things that happened in my life in 2020 - Global Pandemic, pregnancy, becoming a mother, US election, and advancing at work.
If you asked me to summarize 2020 in three phrases, I would say - unexpected experiences, great gifts, and constant change.

Lesson #1: About plans - they are essential even during chaotic times
Having a positive attitude when your plans change is crucial. I always thought that I did not like change. Something that I learned about myself is that I actually like change when I have a plan. Let me explain what I mean by that. If I have a plan and it changes, I can adapt quicker. However, if I do not have a plan, adapting to change amid chaos is extremely difficult. Now that I know that about myself, I adjust my plan and continue making progress when things change in my life. 2020 was filled with plan changes starting from canceling planned time with family, working from home, being pregnant, and living through a pandemic.

Lesson #2: About relationships - value them and make an effort to stay connected
Especially with everything going on last year, the people in my life became even more important. I reconnected with people and made more effort to connect virtually with them. My family and friends helped me thrive and navigate being pregnant and having a baby in a pandemic. 2020 highlighted the importance of my support community. We navigated the uncertainty together, talked about our concerns, and encouraged each other.

Lesson #3: About my mindset and outlook on life - being positive is hard work, but it is worth it
Having a positive outlook on life kept me in a good place mentally over the past year. Being optimistic provides the fuel you need to keep going when you are faced with uncertainty and adversity. As I observed everything going on in the world, I needed to remind myself of how fortunate I was. I focused more on the good things that were happening in my life. This helped me enjoy life despite all the unexpected changes in the world.

Lesson #4: About my inner strength- there is deep resilience that I did not know I had
The hardships that I faced in different phases of my life prepared me for an unexpected year like 2020. I leveraged a lot of what I had learned through those experiences. Being able to pivot and try new things when things do not work out is a skill that I learned, especially when I just moved to Germany. The plans that I had for my life changed a lot, and many things were out of my control. With everything that happened in 2020, I recovered quickly and was strong when I had to do a lot on my own.

Lesson #5: About gratitude- we have a lot to be grateful for
With everything that happened in 2020, I came out feeling very thankful. Amid the chaos in the world, great things happened in my life. I have a baby boy, a loving relationship with my husband, a job where I can continue working at home, I am healthy, and my family is doing well. Sometimes it is really hard to see all the good that is happening around us because the bad things are clouding our sight. I am now very intentional about counting my blessings and celebrating the good in my life.

Final Thoughts
As I wrapped up 2020, I compared what I had planned versus what really happened. Somethings that I planned came true, and others did not. This reflection exercise helped me see the progress that I made and realize what I wanted to focus on in 2021.

• Personal Life: my family grew
• Career: I got a promotion that I had been working on for a long time
• Finances: I did not grow my money or create new revenue streams
• Business: I did not grow our community of women as I planned
• Family: we did not get to spend time with our extended family

In my next blog post, I will be sharing what I'm looking forward to in 2021.

Time for reflection
What did you learn in 2020?
What do you want to do differently in 2021?
What are you excited about in 2021?

Hi everyone - I am back :) I am incredibly excited to be writing and sharing with you all again.
 
At the end of September last year, I shared that I was taking a break for a little while. Interestingly, I was not sure how long I would be away for. It has been four months and a lot has happened. This week, I am restarting aspects of my life that were on temporary hold. I am going back to work, posting weekly blog posts, and sharing with our community.
 
In this blog post, I will share highlights of what has been happening in my life over the past four months.
 
Becoming a mother
My life changed in a major way when I gave birth to a baby boy in October. Everything they say about your love multiplying when you have children is absolutely true. Every time I see his face, my heart fills with joy. Being a mother has been an amazing experience for me. One of the reasons my journey has been incredible is that I have a great husband who is the best father to our little boy. I am being very intentional about enjoying each day with my boys and counting my blessings.
 
Surviving and thriving during a pandemic
Being pregnant and having a baby during a global pandemic brought many unexpected experiences. When the pandemic started in early 2020, I was sure that it would be under control by the last quarter of the year. Sadly, that was not the reality. Especially here in the US, we have been going through many waves and spikes. I learned to adapt and accept a new normal. 
 
Celebrating a special birthday
In 2020, our birthday was incredibly special. Yes, I said our - referring to my twin and I. It was special because we were both celebrating the birth of dreams that we have carried in us for years. As we have grown up and gone on to live our individual lives, we have marked and celebrated our milestones mostly separately. But this year, we got to celebrate something significant in both of our lives.
 
Celebrating my sister as her dream came true
My twin sister Melissa-Sue followed her dream and launched her first single - Faithful. Check out the story behind the song. Words cannot describe how proud I am that she is finally sharing her unique gift with the world. I like to think that I am her number one fan.
 
Celebrating the Holidays during the pandemic
Christmas and New Year’s celebration was quite different for us. Over the past years, we had the opportunity to spend some time with family and friends. However, due to travel restrictions and stay at home orders, we could not see people in person. We adjusted and made the best of the situation. We organized great video calls with our family and friends in the US, UK, and Nigeria instead. It allowed us to celebrate the holidays quietly with our newborn. 
 
Final Thoughts
The last months have been very eventful, and I am beyond thankful for everything.  I am back and ready to do great things in 2021. Watch this space for new blogs, videos and follow me on my journey as I do new things that I have been too afraid to do.
In my upcoming posts, I will be sharing more about what I learned in 2020, my goals for 2021 and all the new things that I have been planning.
Thanks for being a companion on my journey so far and the future I am about to embark on.
Cheers to a great year and us accomplishing our big dreams!