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5 reasons you don’t reach your goals

We all want to reach our goals. Here’s 5 things to avoid doing to increase your chance of success:

1. You have no action plan
This is by far the most common error when we set goals. The intent is set and we even establish a time-frame, but we don’t create a plan. A plan is just a written step-by-step process to get you to where you want to go. Having a plan greatly increases your chances of achieving your goal. It also prevents overwhelm, stagnation and procrastination because the path is laid out for you and broken into smaller steps. You can approach one small step at a time. Bite-size pieces is easier for our human brains to deal with, especially when we’re doing something new.

2. The goal is unrealistic
Your goal can be unrealistic for a number of reasons. Usually it arises from expecting that you can do something in a much smaller space of time than is humanly possible. Any perfectionists and high achievers please note: we are all human and we can only do what we can do. Setting super high standards will not make you better but just set you up for disappointment. The other major reason for unrealistic goal setting is in lack of factoring in the overall context of the goal. Our lives (work, business, personal etc) don’t happen separately or in a vacuum. Your goal is only one part of the whole. It may an important part but it is still a part. You need to factor in the context of the goal- your life  and business situation. Are you in the middle of moving, a family crisis, have 3 projects due at the end of the quarter? All of these elements, whether from personal or professional life will impact on the total resources that you can allocate to your goal. Factor in these other things that are “on your plate” to help you better set a more realistic goal.

3. You set it and forget it
Goal setting and achieving is an ongoing process, not a one-time event at the beginning of the year or quarter. The nature of working with goals is organic in the sense that you often need to modify as you go. In other words, flexibility is key. Don’t misunderstand me, I don’t mean you should create a goal and then “go with the flow”. No, you need a step-by-step plan on how you will achieve it. But then you must remain flexible to modifying it along the path you’re treading. Review is key to this process, so you need to be looking at your goal plan regularly to stay on track.

4. You don’t really want to achieve the goal
Is it possible that we actually want something we don’t really want? Yes. This is no personal flaw of yours. This can easily happen when we see a bright shiny outcome and from the outside looking in, we think to ourselves that we really want that. But having that thing, it turns out, actually involves doing or being certain things that really aren’t our game. An example of this: Having a multi-million dollar business speaking at live events around the country.  From the outside this looks amazing to you. Living your purpose and teaching others while getting to travel is a fantastic idea. Behind this goal are the background mechanics to make this work. You have to be willing to travel, stay in hotels alone, be away from your family and partner/spouse regularly. The idea of spending hours in airports and hotel rooms suddenly hits you and you realise you don’t want that goal afterall. And that’s okay. You can however skip the whole process of discovering this after already spending lots of your time on it simply by understanding your values. Knowing your values will help you better decide on the goals that will truly bring you fulfillment.

5. Limiting beliefs are getting in the way
We all have beliefs that we have established and often been unconsciously living by for most of our lives. Our early life has a large influence on how we perceive the world and these “learnings” and ideas end up manifesting as our belief systems about the world and other people. Everyone experiences this and most of us are unaware of most of our beliefs until we come up against a situation that challenges them.  This can be a situation where you feel stuck, unable to make progress or changes that you want. This is where working with a qualified coach can really help. They can help create awareness around the limiting beliefs and help you overcome them. It is difficult for us to see our own blind spots, no matter how aware we are of ourselves. If you find yourself in this situation, I recommend opting in for my FREE Mini Coaching Session. I can help you create ways to move forward away from feeling stuck or limited.

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Why you must write down your goals

What are you working on in your business for this quarter? Do you have that written down somewhere? What are the specific outcomes you’re trying to achieve? Why all the questions?

Well…Statistics show that people who write down their goals have an 80% higher success rate of achieving their goals than those who do not write down their goals. I think that’s reason enough to get moving on writing down your goals! 

In addition to seriously increasing your chance of goal attainment, here are the other fantastic benefits to writing down your goals:
  1. A written goal provides for a step-by-step plan. Putting the goal down on paper, you can easily break down each step you need to take to achieve it, rather than trying to keep it all in your head. This helps reduce stress and increases your efficacy in completing the goal.
  2. It’s the first step to taking an idea and manifesting it in the world. A goal is about making an idea into a reality. Writing it down already tells your brain that it is important and real. Our brains interpret the written word as something more tangible as it appears in a physical form in front of us. Simply writing your goal down for you to see makes it appear more “realistic” to your brain.
  3. It keeps you on track. When your goal is written down, you won’t forget it and you can refer back to it to see if you’re on track to achieving it.
  4. A written goal can facilitate the visualisation process. It’s easier to imagine the goal when you have it clearly articulated in words in front of you.
So, with these points in mind, what are you waiting for? Put pen to paper or open your laptop and make a quick list now! Happy goal setting!

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Celebrate your wins

When was the last time you celebrated a milestone? Can you remember? Was it an anniversary, a new job, the completion of a big project?

It’s so important to pause after reaching a milestone and give yourself a moment to celebrate. You don’t want to just keep driving on to your next goal and only give that achievement a slight backward glance. You need to take a moment to acknowledge what you have achieved and savour it, just for a bit. Developing the habit of celebrating your wins will actually benefit you (and those around you) in a number of ways:

It reminds you that goal setting works. This is important, so you will continue to set goals and not just decide to float along and see what happens.

It imprints progress on your mind. When you celebrate, you’re choosing to create a significant event. Effectively you’re putting a marker on the track that you’re walking on and saying that this is a significant step. It helps your mind recognise that you have actually made progress. This is particularly important when you’re working on larger goals which can extend across months or years. You need to celebrate the milestones on the way to the final goal.

It motivates you. Success feels good and it is a huge motivating factor. Ever noticed after hitting a goal how motivated you felt, ready to tackle another? This is the dopamine hit, the feel-good chemical. After you achieve a goal and celebrate it, you get a dopamine hit. Then, inevitably, you want another. Celebrating success helps you maintain positivity, energy and motivation.

It’s a chance to share your success with others. If you work in a team this is totally imperative. You must celebrate with your team and recognise their efforts and achievements. If you don’t work in a team, it’s just as important to involve those you are closest to in your celebrations. Be it your significant other, your best friend or family, remember to include them in your celebrations. This is beneficial for all involved, as they get to become part of significant life events with you and understand your values. And you get to include them in on your positive vibes.