Never despair when you fail to meet your goals

We are halfway through November and soon it will be ho ho, merry Christmas. Do you feel like this year has gone by so quick and yet you have little or nothing to show for it? Are you feeling down and terrible for setting goals you couldn’t reach? Do you feel like you lost sight of your journey and yet feel like the few weeks left in the year can’t bring the needed change?

This is far less a reason for you to quit on those goals. For whatever the reason, this life is full of setbacks, obstacles, missed goals, and failures. So this year, you might have lost the battle but certainly not the war—You can get back up and push forward.  The last days of 2017 could even be the plot twist you have been waiting for – so no giving up just yet.

If it turns out that you might fail to meet your targets and goals, take a moment to reflect and use this time to take stock. Its never easy but you can always find the lesson in it, dig deeper and begin again. If you still feeling like hmmmm –“I cant meet my goals”, start looking forward and planning for next year. Don’t despair, there still is a chance to accomplish some of your goals even in the current year. Here is why you don’t need to beat yourself for failing to meet your goals;

Its okay to fail to meet your goals

When you haven’t met your goals, its sort of disheartening, terrifying and leave you feeling like shi*.  I get that, I know how you feel but I look at it in two different ways-you either have a few of the weeks in 2017 or better still, this is the best time to set your goals to give you a fresh new start. Either way its never too late.

Don’t be scared that you have failed to meet your goals in this season. Start getting comfortable with failure instead of changing or moving your goal posts. Instead of changing your goal, get into the habit of developing an action plan. Its easier to get things done when you divide your plan into smaller actionable steps.

Set yourself realistic goals

You might have started out strong at the beginning, but with ambitious goals sometimes you end up feeling outdone. Did you set up a lot of goals to crush this year and are you still excited to get them done? Are you due to meet your goals, or have you met some and are still struggling with others. If you think you might fail to meet some of your goals, chances are you set your self very difficult goals.  With the new year almost on the horizon, you can also use this chance to think about how to come up with realistic and achievable smart goals. Your goals should be within reach. Don’t set yourself for failure by setting goals and resolutions that are out of reach or those you aren’t so passionate about.

 Accept that setbacks will occur

In a perfect world, this would never happen, but it is very unlikely like the road to goal achievement is perfectly paved with no bumps, potholes or detours. Setbacks will happen. Sometimes they will seem massive, signaling the end of your dream or so you think. This goes back to having the right attitude and mentally preparing you to handle setbacks when they occur. If you are not prepared to handle them, you will be more inclined to give-up on your goals, which you want to avoid, especially if the goal is something you truly want. Knowing that you are not perfect and that problems don’t equate to failure, can help you stay calm in the face of a setback and weather through the storm.

Fear nothing and just go for it.

You have to nurture the I CAN DO spirit. You can still meet your goals in these last weeks or better still in the next year to come. Your can do spirit makes you stand against any fears, natural or imposed. Often fear can make you doubt your potential. The best way to remain true to yourself is to confront your fear(s), overcome them, not just once but as many times and solidify your belief in what you can do, come rain or shine.

Whether you are at the rock bottom or on top of your game, whether you are in a negative or positive situation-you are the boss lady in charge of you today, tomorrow and the future. I can’t stress enough that you have the privilege to make choices for where you want to be and how you can change your situation.

Sentiments never come short especially when you are in a difficult place. Its up to you to take a measured approach and filter valuable advice. Never jump on every opinion that presents itself. Some of these suggestions can dig you further-so make it a point to discard them at cost

Reflect on the year

This year might not have started well but you still have a chance and better still, this is the best time to get started and prepare for the next one to come. Bring back your mojo and never hit that self-destruct button. It is very troubling to think you cant achieve anything. However, that is not entirely true. Why not use this ‘failed’ experience as a lesson and learn from it. Don’t wallow in disappointment and get stuck in a rut but instead get yourself back up. Time to move on and make things happen.

Stop making excuses 

Sure, we can blame a lack of time, resources, or a lack of experience when we fail to meet our goals.  In most instances, opportunities don’t just get presented on a silver platter. We all face struggles, deprivation, pain, unfortunate events or circumstances making room for possible excuses. Going about life being pre-occupied with the why card, or declining to take responsibility and take charge can have devastating effects. You can never get anything done. Finding comfort in excuses is the easy option, it does limit and prevent your ability to meet your goals or targets. Yes, the world might be unfair, but its been about the same to many others, the difference being they took responsibility and chose to take charge. When you fail to meet your goals, don’t make it about your lack of experience, skills, budget-these are mere excuses. They are never the real reasons.

Remain Focused

A year can be short or long and there are many things that can get you to veer off the track. You are likely to get tempted and slack along the way feeling there are more days to go. So you might have had the blaa feeling somewhere in the middle. What you don’t need is the pity party but a way to reposition yourself to either catch-up or have a better start next year. Remember whatever happened this year, you have the power to break free, all you need is a clear vision and plan. Only you can bring change in your life, if not this year, certainly the next.

Get yourself an accountability partner

When you share your goals and targets with trusted family, friends or colleagues you are likely to achieve them. There is something about accountability that can even make you move mountains. You would hate to look bad, to be seen as unambitious, a failure and with no motivation or desire to do any better.

Start by sharing your plans, goals and things you want doing by end of year.  Having such friends or partners around can provide you with the much-needed accountability and increase the chances of you achieving your goals. By doing things to avoid being shamed, you become accountable to you what needs doing.

Get rid of distractions

Sometimes the reason why people fail to meet goals year is failure to manage social media. I am talking about taking hours and hours that translate into months and months on Youtube, Netflix, Facebook, Twitter and being with friends who never shut up nor develop you. I am not saying having friends is bad. There are friends who help, motivate and propel us. I am talking about the time wasters, negative people, the gossipers, and naysayers. So you cant say there was no way you could have met your goals, well maybe this year but going forward, start managing your time on social media and who you spend it with. Spending hours on Netflix when you have stuff to be done isn’t going to help you. You need to commit yourself to what matters most. Let it be your call that this year was about lessons learnt, but you are ready to elevate, to be on the rise and be dedicated.

Always connect with your ‘Why’

You can’t escape the ‘why’ question if you want to keep pushing on your goals. Asking yourself that WHY question gives you a perspective of what you want to achieve. When you get to ask why, you re-connect with your inner self and belt out energies you never thought you had to still crush those goals.

By asking yourself why, you are connecting with your inner-self, the bit that says l have been through enough it’s time to get mine, l can’t get on with life as a sideshow- l need to shine. You will get filled with tonnes of energy, you bring on the desires, every bit of you becomes attached so badly in what needs doing. There is no exaggeration in this, you will get pumped and you will meet your goals.

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