Why are you not achieving your goals?

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?