Are You On Track to Achieve Your Goals This Year? Here’s What to Do If You’ve Fallen Behind

Many of us started 2018 with a lot of excitement and energy, ready to kick ass in our careers and our personal lives. We set goals and said that this would be THE year we will really DO IT!

Now here we are, almost halfway through the year. So how are you doing on your goals?

If your answer is “not so good,” or “what goals?”, you’re not the only one.

It’s so common to set high expectations for ourselves, especially at the start of the year, and then not follow through on them. Only about 9% of people actually stick to their New Year’s resolutions, according to Statistic Brain Research Institute.

Want to be a part of that 9% of people who stick to their yearly goals?

I thought you would. 😉

If you’re struggling with your goals this year and you haven’t made the progress you wanted to make, ask yourself this question: Why?

Here’s a list of possible reasons and what you can do to get back on track:

1. You were too ambitious.

I’m all for dreaming big and pushing yourself. But sometimes we simply overestimate what we can do. We are not superheroes (as much as I like to pretend I am—Wonder Woman does have those super cool bracelets) and we need to do things like sleep, take care of our bodies and spend time with our families. We can’t just work work work all day every day.

If you were overly ambitious this year, that’s okay! All it takes is a simple rework. Follow this process:

• Make a list of what you did accomplish this year. Give yourself a pat on the back and a glass—or two—of champagne. 😉
• Make a list of what you want to accomplish in the next six months.
• Circle the 1-2 things on your list that are the most important.
• Come up with a plan for accomplishing those 1-2 things. You may want to put deadlines on your calendar or work up a schedule.

Whatever you do, make it as simple and easy as possible. You fell short of your goals this year because they were too big. So make them as small and manageable as possible.

If that means setting aside a half hour during your lunch break every day to work on your goals, do it. If it means setting aside one evening a week every week to work on your goals, do it.

Experiment. Find the system that works best for you and be consistent.

2. You lost your motivation somewhere around January 15th—and it never picked back up again.

It can be hard to stay motivated to achieve our goals. If this is you, try this process:

• Ask yourself this question: Do you still want to achieve this goal? Sometimes when we lack motivation, it’s because our heart isn’t in it.

Maybe the goal was important on New Year’s Eve, but we’ve lost interest since then. That’s okay! Sometimes it’s important to know when to let go of a goal so we can move onto what truly is important to us.

• If you do still want to achieve this goal, remind yourself why.

Do you want to lose weight because of how it will make you feel and how it will help you show up for your family?

Do you want to start your own business because you want to help people and you can’t wait to see how you transform their lives?

Do you want to publish a novel, write a screenplay or sell your paintings because you want to share your creative vision with others and impact them on a deep level?

Whatever your “why” is, hold it close. Remind yourself of it every day. When you don’t want to get up in the morning, remember it. Put pictures on your Dream Board that represent your goal and how it will make you feel.

• If you need more help getting motivated, here’s a few more things to try:

Collect your favorite motivational quotes. These need to be quotes that really get your butt into gear! Put them on your Dream Board, Pinterest Board or write them down in a journal. Read them every morning.

If you need more inspiration, follow me on Instagram, where I share my favorite quotes regularly.

Watch motivational videos on YouTube. Is there a video that makes you want to really get out there and do it? Think: The “No Man’s Land” scene from Wonder Woman, the training scene from Rocky or Mirai Nagasu landing a triple axel at the Olympics. Or maybe you prefer a TED Talk or other motivational speech. Whatever it is, watch it when you feel like you’re in a rut!

Make a playlist of your favorite songs that make you feel motivated. Listen to it every morning to get into the zone!

Join a group or hire a life coach. Sometimes we need the support of others to boost our motivation. Join a mastermind, a business group or a Meetup group with people who have the same goals as you. You are who you surround yourself with!

Remember, motivation is something we need to work on every day. Don’t be afraid to push yourself!

3. You’re afraid.

When you’re setting out to do something big and new, it can be SO scary. All those “what ifs” start running through your head: “What if I fail? What if this is a stupid idea? What if I don’t know what I’m doing?”                                                                                                                  

Remember this: Everyone feels this way. But the people who achieve their goals just shove that fear aside and do it anyway.

As George Addair said, “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”

Remind yourself that you are safe, you are strong, you are amazing and you can DO THIS and fear be damned!

Start small. Dip your toe out of your comfort zone, adjust, and then put the other foot in. Once you start making progress, your confidence will rise and that fear will start to slip away.

I hope these tips gave you the tools you need to smash your goals this year—or gave you the strength to let go of the goals that are no longer important to you.

In the end, the reason why you fell short of your goals doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you are taking action NOW.

As Tina Fey says, “You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute.”

Ready? Need another push? 😉

I’d love to hear your mid-year progress report. Did you do what you set out to do this year? What are you struggling with? How will you revamp your goals? You got this! 🙂