Jim's Gems: Why Aren’t I Achieving My Goals?

Now that the end of the first quarter of 2014 is near, it’s time to take an inventory of the progress you’re making toward achieving your goals.  You’re likely not too surprised to learn that you are not where you had hoped to be at this point. Make it’s not much comfort to know most people are experiencing the same result.

If you are not making the progress you would like to make and are capable of making, you might consider the following points.  Without exception, if you haven't achieved something that you want or you feel like you are not making significant progress toward one of your goals, you never have to look farther away than this short list. Consider it the litmus test for determining what's missing in the quest for your goal.

1.            The plan wasn’t adequate.  Maybe you missed the first step necessary to achieving any goal and didn’t even have a plan.  If you’re going to achieve a goal there has to be a map or course of action that guides your efforts.  Without a documented plan you just won’t stay on track and your actions become disjointed.  Start with a definitive plan to achieve any goal.

2.            The goal wasn’t a priority. If you’re not making progress toward achieving your goal it could be that it wasn’t really that important. If it is important make it visible.  Use a 12 month vision calendar to plot out your course of actions and check it often, making adjustments along the way.  If you don’t hit your target or expectation this month, you need to adjust your actions or expectations next month. Visualization of your priority goals in a powerful technique, but it’s also uncomfortable when you’re forced to self-reflect – especially when you don’t like what you see.

3.            The goal wasn’t believable. If you want to change something in your life or want to create something new, you have to believe in it.  You have to do something different.  This means going out of your comfort zone and this isn’t easy for most people.

To make this easier, take the goal and break it into smaller (more manageable) steps, so it doesn’t seem so daunting.  Put these steps on your vision calendar so you have clear line of sight.  Sometimes making a goal happen means you’re going to have to do something you’ve never done before but you can do it.  You have to believe in yourself.  If you don’t, who will?

Are you ready to make your dreams and aspirations a reality?  The bottom line is, it’s up to you.  You hold the power to make it happen! (See related Jim’s Gems December 30 2013 blog)