4 Reasons Goals Fail and How to Overcome Them

Are you staying on track with your New Year’s resolutions? According to U.S. News & World Report, about 80% of people fail to reach their New Year’s goals. By mid-February, most people digress or abandon their goals altogether, leaving them in the same place they started.

Have you ever wondered why you fail at accomplishing the goals important to you? Sometimes it’s not about what you’re doing right, but it’s what you’re doing wrong. Working towards your goals is not an impossible task, but it can be if you’re not aware of possible barriers. Below are four common traps that cause you to fail at your goals and new year’s resolutions.

1. Waiting for the perfect time.
   Rid the mentality that you’ll start working towards your goals when you reach the “perfect” time. The perfect time does not exist. Life is about growth, trying new things, and taking risks. The longer you wait, the less likely you’ll achieve your goals because that time may never come.

   Solution: Stop creating personal excuses.
   You will always have a reason not to do something, whether it’s time, money, experience, etc. Make your goals a priority. Once you incorporate your goals into your daily routine and stop viewing it as a separate obligation, you will find the comfort and ease to make your goals a reality.

2. Comparing yourself to others.
   It’s easy to compare our situations with other people. For some, this may be a motivator, but for many, it’s discouraging and damaging. No one is the same, therefore, you should never measure your success by others’ accomplishments.

   Solution: Focus on your journey.
   Focus on what you want to accomplish. Do not compare your beginning to someone else’s middle or end, you’ll only minimize your efforts and reduce your confidence. Instead, be conscious of where you are at and give yourself permission to be a beginner, and trust that success will come over time.

3. Pursuing too many goals.
   Anything feels possible when we enter a new year. However, taking on too much will leave you feeling confused or overwhelmed. Ambition is not enough to handle the obstacles you may encounter during the process.

   Solution: Balance your goals.
   If you pursue too much without balancing your personal and professional life, you’re more prone to give up due to overwhelm. Personal growth enables you to better handle the good and bad. Creating goals for more than one area of your life may sound like more work, but it will ensure a better balance in your life and keep you grounded.

4. Giving up too soon.
   Don’t expect to accomplish everything all at once. Too often, individuals set unattainable goals and give up because they didn’t achieve 100% success. If you don’t define success, you can’t measure it.

   Solution: Treat it as a learning experience.
   Don’t expect overnight success. Consider how you plan to adjust your mentality or lifestyle to meet your goals. Create a solid foundation to measure your progress. For example, if you’re beginning to exercise, start small. Begin with 30 minutes a week rather than 60 minutes, 7 days a week. Remember to be kind to yourself and welcome new experiences. The journey is not about perfection. It’s about developing yourself and what you learn along the way.

   “If you knew you could not fail, what would you be doing differently?” – The Leadership Habit