You were all excited about your goals. You wrote them down, did your vision board and shared them with your accountability partner. Then you went radio silent. No one’s heard you talking about your goals voluntarily in weeks.
When your accountability partner asks for an update, you say you’ve been busy working on a bunch of projects. Or you share that you are still working some things out You might even admit that you were doing well then got stuck on one part. Then you quickly shift topics.
What really happened? What made you lose steam on that goal you were so excited about?
Something got in the way of you making progress. Or if we are keeping things real, someone-namely you.
Despite your best intentions, you could be getting in your own way when it comes to working your goals.
Let’s look at
- Information Overload: when you’re being bombarded by information coming at you from every different direction, it’s hard to focus and concentrate. It’s hard to gather the mental energy to tackle that new project. We can process more decisions in one day than most people made all year over a hundred years ago. Using all that brain power makes it hard to push through the challenge of working on a new goal. Press pause and think about how you can slow the flow of info long enough to regroup.
- Not Using Your Tools: while tools alone won’t get you over the finish line, using them can make a difference in your success rate. Tools can help you better manage your files, track your to-do-list, share information and more. If you aren’t using tools right now, start with the basics. Set up an electronic calendar and task tracking system to with key dates for working your goal plugged in.
- Being Too Ambitious: sometimes you can bite off more than you can chew. Working on your goals can be a little like showing up at buffet hungry-you’ll pile way more on your plate than you can ever finish. Watch out for how much you plan. If you think you can get 5 things done, it’s better for you to only plan on doing 3. Don’t be too ambitious when you stack your goals. Planning fewer things gives you wiggle room so you can handle things that will pop up. Don’t create more stress for yourself than you’re already dealing with.
- Not Having an Execution Plan: you can’t just wing it when you’re working on your goals. You don’t want to over-plan things and never get into action mode, but you need an execution plan to guide you. Lay out the different phases of your project and the key milestones you need to check off to stay on track and hit your goal.
- Counting the Weeds: I’m all about the details, but you can get caught up in the little things and lose sight of the big picture. You won’t be able to have a contingency plan for everything. If you are spending too much time on every tiny little detail, then you have to pull the reigns in. Set deadlines for when you have to get the big things done. Ask someone to review your work and keep you focused on the bigger picture. You can’t plan the forest if you’re too busy counting the trees.
- Bad Habits: being a perfectionist or procrastinating are just a couple of the bad habits that can derail your success. Other bad habits to watch out for include negative thoughts, multitasking, comparing yourself to others, imposter syndrome or other forms of self-sabotage. Take note of which bad habits are getting in the way of you staying on task.
- Shiny New Objects: you will always have a long list of ideas. You can’t let every shiny new object or idea distract you. You’ll leave a string of unfinished projects and a ton of disappointment behind you. If you have a great idea, write it down, but don’t start working on something new until you’ve finished the thing in front of you. Stay the course
This is by now way a complete list of ways you are blocking your goals. Let me know what you’re struggling with. Remember this is a shame free space! We all struggle from time to time. I’m here to help. Jump in the Goal Getter Community on Facebook for support.
Let me know what you think about my upcoming Goals Incubator Program