Dreaming about our ideal life fuels us with inspiration and ambition. We envision how our life could unfold if all our dreams were to come true. While inspired, we set goals for ourselves, and we might even define some action points and get to work.
However, after a while, we often forget about our goals, procrastinate, or never really take action. We've interviewed dozens of people to discuss their goal-setting process and the challenges they face.
In this article, we delve into the common reasons why we struggle to achieve our goals, from procrastination to external distractions, and offer actionable strategies to overcome these challenges.
1. Lack of Clarity
Often, our goals are too vague or ambiguous, making it difficult to define clear action steps and measure progress. Examples of such vague goals include goals like 'I want to make more money', 'I want to lose weight', and 'I want to increase our revenue'.
These goals lack specificity, making it impossible to track progress or attach real numbers to them. Furthermore, without a clear understanding of what we want, taking the first step and maintaining momentum can be challenging.
Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals
When setting a goal, ensure it is S.M.A.R.T:
Specific: Define your goal in detail and be as specific as possible. For example, instead of setting a goal such as "I want to lose weight," specify the goal as "I want to lose 6kg."
Measurable: Ensure you can measure your goal and progress in a meaningful way. For instance, change "increase our revenue" to "increase our revenue by 10%."
Achievable: Make sure you are capable of accomplishing your goal within your timeframe. Try breaking larger goals into smaller ones that you can accomplish in three months.
Relevant: Ensure your goal aligns with your inner desires and long-term objectives. Think about WHY you are setting this goal and make sure it comes from your inner desires.
Time-bound: Set a realistic but ambitious deadline to increase motivation. Without a deadline, it is easy to keep postponing your actions, resulting in decreased motivation.
Once your goal is S.M.A.R.T., you can create a roadmap and specify milestones and daily tasks on how to get there. By tracking your progress, you’ll generate momentum because you can see you’re making progress before you have achieved the goals.
2. Procrastination
Occasional procrastination is common and happens to the best of us. While it may not immediately lead to significant consequences, procrastination often hinders progress. Decreased productivity and missed deadlines can demotivate and even stress you out.
Overcoming procrastination requires self-awareness, self-discipline, and the implementation of effective strategies and techniques.
If you’re stuck, try to:
Break your tasks into smaller, manageable steps.
Set deadlines for each task.
Prioritize your tasks daily, starting with the most challenging one.
Work on your tasks when your discipline levels are at their highest.
Focus on taking consistent action to maintain progress and motivation.
3. Lack of Motivation
When setting a goal, you are often enthusiastic and envision yourself achieving it. However, over time, our initial enthusiasm may wear down, leading to decreased motivation.
To prevent this from happening, it is beneficial to:
Clearly specify WHY you are setting a goal for yourself.
Define how your life will improve upon achieving the goal.
Frequently remind yourself of the end result when motivation is low.
Additionally, sharing your goal with others can be helpful. They can act as accountability buddies, providing motivation during times of low personal motivation. Consider joining communities with similar goals for added accountability and encouragement.
4. Setting Unrealistic Goals
It's good to have big dreams. Whether it's running a large business, influencing millions, running a marathon, or achieving financial freedom, write down your aspirations and make them your life's mission. Create a compelling vision for your future and jot down all your ambitious goals.
However, focusing on short-term results, typically around three months, increases the likelihood of achieving your goals. Achieving goals frequently fuels motivation, and short-term goals enable setting realistic targets. It's easier to estimate what's achievable in three months compared to a year.
Ensure your goals are realistic and attainable within the set timeframe. For instance, if financial freedom is your goal, set a goal to save a percentage of your income every month. If building a business is your aim, set a goal to draft a business plan within the next three months.
5. Lack of Planning
Setting a realistic goal is essential, but it's not enough. Without a clear plan of action, you may feel directionless, overwhelmed, and unsure where to start. Spending hours staring at your goal without knowing the next action to take is common.
When setting a goal, develop a detailed action plan with specific steps and deadlines. Set monthly milestones to break down your goal into smaller targets. Break the first milestone into actionable tasks so you can start immediately.
To stay on track, take a moment at the end of each week to plan the week ahead. Review your milestones and define the next action needed to keep progressing. This ensures you can always start with the next task, maintaining continuous progress.
6. Fear of Failure
The fear of falling short or encountering setbacks often holds us back from stepping out of our comfort zones and embracing the unknown. For example, the fear of failure might prevent someone from starting their own business or pursuing a new career path. Similarly, the fear of rejection might stop someone from putting themselves out there in relationships or networking opportunities.
Embrace failure as a natural part of the learning process. Shift your focus from avoiding failure to learning from it and using setbacks as opportunities for growth. Practice self-compassion and celebrate progress, no matter how small. Reflecting on your day and week, and asking yourself what went well, what went wrong, and what lessons you learned, can be an easy way to continuously improve yourself and start enjoying the journey.
7. External Distractions
External factors such as social media, notifications, or other obligations often divert our attention away from our goals. Both iOS and Android offer focus modes that enable you to block notifications from specific apps during different parts of the day. Investing just 15 minutes to set up these focus modes will probably pay itself back on the same day.
Set clear boundaries and time limits on apps that tend to distract you the most. Consider if it is really necessary to reply immediately on incoming messages or emails. While some jobs may require immediate replies, most do not. Similarly, in family settings, it's perfectly acceptable to respond only at specific times during the day, such as right before your lunch break, in the evening after work, or while commuting.
Leverage time-limiting tools or apps to block distracting websites or schedule focused work intervals.
8. Lack of Accountability
For some goals, it's easy to hold ourselves accountable, but for more challenging goals that push us out of our comfort zones, it's easy to let ourselves off the hook when it comes to making progress. Without external accountability, we may find it difficult to stay motivated and focused.
One effective way to overcome this challenge is to find an accountability buddy. Share your plans with someone you trust and ask them to keep you on track by checking in regularly and asking about your progress. It's important to choose someone who isn't afraid to ask the tough questions and hold you accountable when needed. While your best friend might offer support, they may not always be the best fit for this role.
Alternatively, you can seek out someone who has the same goal. By partnering with someone on a similar journey, you can learn from each other's successes and setbacks, and motivate each other to stay committed. Tracking your progress together and celebrating achievements as a team can make the journey towards your goals more enjoyable and rewarding.
9. Burnout
Pushing ourselves too hard without adequate rest and self-care can result in low energy levels, diminished motivation, and eventually burnout.
It's essential to prioritize self-care activities such as exercise, relaxation, and spending time with loved ones. Setting realistic expectations and allowing yourself to take breaks when needed are crucial steps in preventing burnout. Practice mindfulness and listen to your body's signals to ensure you're giving yourself the care and attention you need.
If you find that a goal you've set is overly ambitious and unrealistic, try to adjust it to ensure it's achievable within a reasonable timeframe.
10. Lack of Adaptability
Setting goals and crafting a plan is essential, but life is full of surprises. New personal insights, feedback from others, or shifting circumstances can hinder our progress. If we keep sticking to our original plan without being open to change, we may find it hard to keep making consistent progress.
It's crucial to maintain an open-minded and flexible mindset. Be willing to pivot or adjust your approach as needed, embracing a growth mindset that sees obstacles as opportunities for growth. Take time each week to reflect on your progress, integrate new insights, and make any necessary adjustments to your plan.
Time to take action!
Start by setting one goal for yourself that you can realistically achieve in the next three months. You don't have to start with the most challenging goal; the aim is to develop the habit of setting and accomplishing them.
Here’s how to get started:
Choose one goal you want to achieve in the next three months.
Make your goal S.M.A.R.T.
Define why you are setting this goal for yourself and how your life will improve once you achieve it.
Break your goal down into milestones.
Create tasks for the first milestone and schedule them.
Share your goal with others and ask them to keep you accountable.
Reflect on your progress weekly and adjust your plan as needed.
Try Griply for free and automate these processes.
