Do you need help with achieving goals? Do you often watch others succeeding and think, “Hey, why can’t I do that?” Well, of course, you can! You are brilliant, creative, and remarkable and have something unique to offer this world, but for some reason, you are not getting it done. Why?Let’s find out. You are not alone.
Whether you are trying to change your vocation, lose five pounds, or just clean out the garage, learning the basics steps to setting and achieving goals can significantly improve your chances of success. With passion, purpose, and the perfect plan, you can succeed. If you have a well-thought-out strategy, you are well on your way to sure-fire success. Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons why people fail at achieving goals.
“With passion, purpose, and the perfect plan, you are well on your way to sure-fire success!”
1. Too many goals? – Start with the Best One
Do you have too many goals, dreams, wants, and desires? Do you feel anxious and overwhelmed with so much to do? Start with one goal. Take time to discover what is most important to you. Ask yourself, “Which goal affects the success of all other goals and will make other goals easier to accomplish?” “Which goal is weighing heavy upon my heart and affecting my health and happiness?” Start with that goal.
2. Fear of success? – Believe in Yourself and Get Support
Often, people feel anxiety or fear at the thought of being successful. They worry about what might happen if they achieve their goal. A certain amount of excitement and anxiety is natural. However, if you feel frozen with fear, you might need help in overcoming these emotions blocking you from success. A coach, therapist, or health professional can help you identify your fears and move past them to accomplish your goal. Start with believing in yourself and knowing you can achieve your goal. Surround yourself with others who believe in you.
“Start with believing in yourself and knowing you can achieve your goal. Surround yourself with others who believe in you.”
3. Lack of Support? – Start Building Your Community
For most of us, it takes a team to accomplish our goals. Very few people have all of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual resources, skills, and experience needed to achieve their goals. Seek out other like-minded professionals, friends, and family members who believe in you and have walked the same path. Whether it is expert advice from a blog, a video, an e-book, an experienced stranger you gell with on the bus, a social media group, or a professional, look for those who resonate with your ideals and purpose. Watch for people who identify with you, and with whom you feel a heart-to-heart connection. Seek out and build your community of support.
4. Unwilling to Change? – Listen. Learn. Reset.
Many people fail because they have a limited understanding of the process of achieving a goal. They feel hopeless, discouraged, and give up. Goals must be modified. Greatness rarely occurs overnight. One only needs to look to great athletes, writers, performers, heroes, inventors, and other world-changers to know they all possess an exceptional understanding of what it takes to achieve a goal. Do you have unfinished projects all over the house — a broken chair, a bicycle seat you bought two years ago, but never put it on, a guitar siting in the corner, untouched after only two lessons? Are you unwilling to change course? Will you give up when times get tough? Most of us will succeed if we are willing to learn from our mistakes and begin again. You can do this. Learn from your mistakes, keep a grateful heart, and reset your goal.
“You have something you were born to do. You have something valuable to offer the world.”
5. Feeling Unworthy? – Realize Your Worth
Sometimes, the goal we envision brings us so much joy and happiness that we feel undeserving of achieving success. You might think it is selfish to focus on your goals. Are you feeling incapable or unworthy of achieving this goal? Maybe you have been told by others that it’s not feasible or unrealistic. Listen to your feelings. What is at the root of these feelings of self-doubt and unworthiness? Tell yourself, “I am lovable and valuable.” Start by writing down 25 talents, traits, and treasures you possess. Ask yourself, “What makes me uniquely wonderful and deserving of this goal?” Is it your stamp collection, your ability to raise one eyebrow up and one eyebrow down, the way you laugh through your nose, your love of animals, your unique ability to recite all the past Presidents of the United States, your love of gardening? Know YOU are deserving of success, health, and happiness. Stop or walk away from negative speak, saturate yourself with postivite affirmations, BELIEVE and REALIZE you are worthy. Begin by writing down your attributes, planning out your success, and then making it happen.
6. Expertise Seeker? – Believe in Your Own Expertise
Sometimes, people are so busy trying to glean wisdom, praise, and experience from others, that they never accomplish their goals. They are expertise seekers – seeking validation and education from everyone but themselves. Is this you? Do you sign up for every free webinar or Mastermind? Do you have five or six certificates? Have you tried ten or twelve different diet plans? Do you need hundreds or thousands of cyber friends to boost your ego? There comes a time to stop looking to others for advice and listen to the heart. Of course, it’s essential to seek out wisdom and experience from helpful experts. But, it’s also vital to listen to that voice within. Trust yourself. You have something you need to do. Your mind, body, and emotions are speaking to you right now. Listen. You have something valuable to offer the world.
“Are you ready for your success? Begin by imagining what the future will look like having accomplished the goal. See it clearly.”
7. Lack of Vision? – Clearly Imagine Your Success
Many people fail at achieving their goals because they have no vision. To achieve a goal, one must start with a clear vision of success. Are you ready for your success? Begin by imagining what the future will look like having accomplished the goal. See it clearly. You can do this. Look at one year from now, five years from now, fifteen years, and twenty years. What do you see? How have you changed? What do you want to accomplish? See your vision clearly and write it down. When you take the time to do this, you are on your way to achieving your goal.
8. Lack of Motivation? – Listen to Your Heart
Sometimes we have chosen a goal that is not in our best interest. We find ourselves unmotivated and cannot move ahead. This is a good thing! Stop and listen to your heart. Close your eyes. Imagine your goal. Do you feel motivated to accomplish it? If so, what is the payoff? Does it bring you joy and happiness? How? Does it solve a problem? Can it eliminate hardship or make life easier for you or your loved ones? If not, maybe it’s not the goal for you. Is there is another goal that is more important to your overall happiness and well-being? Choosing the goal that motivates you to take action is essential to your success. You can do this. Find your motivation!
“Are you stuck at a crossroads or a dead-end unable to move? Break down that goal into smaller steps, then take one step forward.”
9. Stuck at a Crossroads or Dead-End? – Take the Next Best Step
Sometimes we don’t accomplish our goal because we are standing at a crossroads or a dead-end terrified to move. Many of us won’t take the next step unless it’s catastrophic. Take a moment to reflect. Have you been sabotaging your life? Are you creating chaos to force yourself to step forward into achieving your goals? Or are you playing it safe, standing still, waiting for someone to find you and offer help? Well, that works for some of us. But, most of us find it easier to take control of our lives, instead of waiting for someone or something to push us forward.
If you are stuck at a crossroads or dead-end, try something different. Instead of waiting until you are forced to move, look around. Change your viewpoint. Seek out another route. Break down your goal into smaller steps. Then take that first step forward. Maybe you can’t get the courage to go for the job interview. So, instead, you might write out a script, attend a free online webinar about interviewing, practice with a family member or friend and get help rewriting your resume. What is your next best step? You can do this!
10. Fear of Exploitation or Stealing – Focus on Your Greater Purpose.
Sometimes people can’t take that next step into greatness because they are afraid to give something away. They want to keep all their gifts, talents, and treasures safely hidden. Maybe you are a dynamic cake decorator, but you are terrified of showing the world your ground-breaking recipes and designs for fear of everyone stealing your ideas. Perhaps you are a talented dancer who has come up with this fantastic routine, but you will never share it online for fear that someone else will take your moves and launch themselves into stardom. Maybe you are a wildly innovative computer software designer, but you are crippled with fear that someone else might exploit you and run off with your plans, so you never submit or share them with anyone. Is this you? If so, maybe it’s time to come out of hiding. You have the power to stop worrying about what someone else may or may not do and instead listen to your heart. You can reignite that passion and purpose within you. What brings you joy? What are you meant to accomplish in this world? Look to those you trust and take that next step forward. You can do this.
“In addition to finding people who believe in your dreams and seeking out knowledgeable experts, you might need to look for someone who is a skilled organizer.”
11. Lack of Organization and Poor Time Management – Get Organized With a Manager or Coach.
If you need help with organizing your life, you are not alone. In addition to finding people who believe in your dreams and seeking out knowledgeable experts, you might need to look for someone who is a skilled organizer.
This person doesn’t necessarily need to have experience in your particular field of interest. But, he or she must be highly skilled in time management and goal setting. This might include: helping you determine your best goal, developing goal strategies, breaking goals into achievable steps, developing a timeline, identifying useless objects, possessions, habits, or behaviors, and keeping you on track with reminders of your next best steps. If this feels right to you, call a credentialed guidance counselor, certified coach, or certified trainer. If you can’t pay someone, reach out to a skilled friend who always seems to get things done, but working with an experienced professional is well worth the investment.
12. Physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual challenges blocking your success? Remove them!
Sometimes people fail at their goals because of physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual challenges. Take some time to explore what is preventing you from succeeding with your goal. Did you set a goal that needs some modification based on your particular strengths or weaknesses? For example, if you are in a wheelchair paralyzed from the neck down, and your goal is to swim the English Channel, you will need a plan to change the traditional way of swimming. Invent a new way. If your goal is to buy a house and you only have $3.59 in savings and are unemployed, you are going to first have to change your goal to secure some income. Get people to invest in you. Sell something. Take out a loan. Make a plan. If your goal is to play the piano once a week at local venues and you are asked to perform at a dinner for members of the local Deer Hunters Association, you might feel spiritually or morally conflicted, if you are a vegan and devoted member of PETA.
So take some time to listen to yourself. What is your goal? What rings true for you? Are you avoiding stepping forward with your goal because of physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual challenges or obstacles that block your path? If so, then change your direction. Remove the blocks. Modify or fine-tune your goal and come into alignment with your purpose, passion, plan, and sure-fire path to success.
You can do it! I believe in you.
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Jean Voice Dart is an author, speaker, registered therapist, credentialed teacher, and certified life coach who helps people of all ages reset self-esteem, boost joy and confidence, and share their unique gifts with the world. She is the founder and Health and Wellness Educator of the Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance, a 501(c)3 health education nonprofit organization. To find out more about the Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance visit www.montereybayholistic.com To find out more about Jean, visit www.jeanvoicedart.com
Disclaimer: The Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance is a charitable, independent registered nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization and does not endorse any particular products or practices. We exist as an educational organization dedicated to providing free access to health education resources, products, and services. Claims and statements herein are for informational purposes only and have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The statements about organizations, practitioners, methods of treatment, and products listed on this website are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information is intended for educational purposes only. The MBHA strongly recommends that you seek out your trusted medical doctor or practitioner for diagnosis and treatment of any existing health condition.
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