6 Honest Reasons Why You Are Falling Short On Your 2022 Goals & What You Should Do

You haven’t clearly defined your goals

Before you can make any progress, you need to get very specific in what it is that you want.  Our level of action and effort are only effective if these behaviors are in alignment with the goals that we have set for ourselves.  Being specific creates clarity and allows you the opportunity to focus in on a clear outcome.  When you set a goal that is broad, understand that the focus becomes clouded and expectations will feel lost.  When this happens, any outcome that you achieve is more likely to feel unsatisfying or stagnant.  When you narrow down your goals and get specific, the progress you make and the outcomes you achieve will feel satisfying. This is because you have gotten clear on what exactly it is that you desire by setting your intention to establish your direction.

Poor Planning

Once you identify your specific goal, planning your course of action is the next essential component.  Benjamin Franklin once said, “When you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”. Your goals require you to be decisive, not only when setting them, but also in the course of action needed to attain them.  Establishing a clear plan is critical. You are your own compass and have the power to steer yourself in any direction.  The sum of your decisions, effort and actions are what ultimately moves you.  Remember, when you strategize, your success no longer becomes a chance of possibility, but rather a matter of ability.

You set them to please someone else

It’s time to cure the disease to please. One of the biggest challenges we all face, is finding the courage to break out of the mold from those who tried to shape us our whole lives.  We are creatures of habit and naturally the easiest route to take in life is the one that won’t create any waves.  Without even knowing, our environments create our own limits.  We don’t always know when or how to think bigger or different, if we haven’t allowed our minds to expand and grow past the limits that we know.  This is why it’s so important to immerse yourself in new things and experiences that make you feel uncomfortable.  Push yourself to live outside of your comfort zone.  Release yourself from the chains that keep you complacent and give yourself permission to be curious.  Allow your curiosity to lead you.  New ways of being spark new ways of thinking.  You will never feel satisfied or truly happy if you are not living a life that was curated by you.

Lack of ownership

When you set a goal, you need to own it.  This means owning your goal and everything that it entails. Yes, that encompasses your action and effort! Many believe that when they set a goal, it is magically going to happen or unfold for them.  However, that is not the case.  If you don’t hold yourself accountable to the action and effort required, you will have a small likelihood of achieving successful outcomes.  The best piece of advice to take your goals more seriously, is to attach a deadline to them.  Ironically, this is likely to make it feel more tangible.  “A goal without a deadline, is just a dream”,  as quoted by Robert Herjavec. 

Lack of self-discipline

One of the most constructive things you can do is to take the actions outlined in your goal planning strategy and incorporate them into your daily routine.  Routines are technically an organized pattern of established habits.  Habits are actionable behaviors that have developed sustainable effort that ensures consistency through showing up on repeat.  Self-disciple is a form of self-love.  It is withholding so much respect for your self that you are willing to give up short term rewards for long term benefits. 

You need actionable insight

This last one is a total game changer.  In our lives, when we dare to take steps out of our comfort zone, those who we currently surround ourselves with don’t always provide the right support that we may need.  There is something about following your passion and surrounding yourself with others who get the journey, push you to do better, and are there to cheer you on. Don’t be shy to hire a coach or mentor.  This might just be the needle mover that you need to help propel you forward.  A coach or mentor knows your goal, helps outline the steps needed, and identifies progress by outlining measurable action items.  Being held accountable with a push to keep growing and expanding in the direction of your goals, adds a bump of confidence and self assurance that you might not have tapped into originally to take bold, daring leaps forward.  When you are daring to be different, a coach helps you step into your power by empowering you to pivot away from projected doubt and fuel on your own self-belief and confidence.