What’s getting in your way?

So today I thought I’d blog about the things that get in the way of people accomplishing their goals.  We are in the last week of the 1^st year of the month, and this is the time when many people are facing the reality of slipping back into old habits.   So many people set goals for themselves and unfortunately don’t actually see them come into fruition so I thought it would be helpful to talk about why this happens. 

A New Year  is a time when so many of us make ‘resolutions’, ‘commitments’, and ‘promises’  to ourselves, others, God etc. I think resolutions and goal setting at the beginning of the year is GREAT….but why oh why do so many of these goals never actually get accomplished?

I’ve been thinking about a few things that interfere with a person’s ability to accomplish their goals and here are a few ideas that I’ve come up with.

• Failure to plan
  • ‘Without a plan/vision the people perish!’  That’s a quote from the Bible that I have found to be so very true. Or ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’, another good one (not from the Bible… but still pretty good…lol).  If you think of most successful people they didn’t wake up one morning and just ‘BANG’ have a great idea and start seeing it all come together.  If you take the time to study the lives of many great inspirational, and successful people you will learn that at some point they developed a plan as to how they might do what ever it was they wanted to do, then began to implement that plan… step by step.
  • Each person’s plan will look different (formal/informal) but the idea is to write out what you think some helpful steps might be.  As things progress your plan will probably change or need to be adjusted here or there.  But the idea is to know what you are doing so that you are able to follow through.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought of a great idea, and then MINUTES later the thought has disappeared from my head.  It is important to write stuff down, so you don’t forget, and are able to incorporate it into your day to day life (as if fits appropriately)

• Just not making the time
  • Well if you don’t make time for the goal you want to accomplish then there is probably no hope of you ever getting it done.  Dreaming, fantasising, talking about what you WANT to do is great, but some way some how you’ve got to begin to CARVE out the time for whatever it is you want to do. 

• Procrastination
  • OHHHH Procrastination… Good old procrastination.  It is like the good friend you LOVE and HATE at the same time. lol.. Let me explain why.  Procrastination is actually a tactic that we subconsciously rely on to relieve the pressure or discomfort of a difficult or undesirable task.  At the time we are procrastinating we somehow find relief in doing something that takes our attention off of the difficult/undesirable task.  Let me give an example: So you are home and you’ve got to write a report for work; you are feeling the pressure; it’s hard and you feel like you’re not getting anywhere.  When all of a sudden out of the blue you realize the PRESSING need to organize your sock drawer, or wash the dishes, or start purging your summer clothes out of the closet.  I give these examples instead of the typically thought of (watching TV, getting a snack) examples because the earlier mentioned examples sometimes ‘trick’ us into thinking we are doing something important… but let’s face it.  If there was no report to do, YOU KNOW you wouldn’t be sorting your sock drawer, or washing those dishes etc.
  • It is important to be conscious of what we do when we are facing the uncomfortable parts of accomplishing our goals.  Instead of running away from the task, I encourage you to take a deep breath and remember that discomfort is a PART of success/accomplishing your goals.  Don’t psych yourself into thinking/believing that if it gets tough then you’ve got to give up.  Remember the great and so very truthful statement.  ‘No pain…. NO GAIN’… so embrace the BURN!!! Puuuuuuuuuuuuuush through… believe me when I tell you, you’ll be happy that you did.

• Lack of Passion
  • For some people setting a certain goal may seem exciting at first, and they may begin working on accomplishing it with zeal, but as they move forward the excitement wears off. 
  • In setting goals it’s important that you feel a sense of passion in accomplishing the goal otherwise it is easy for motivation to wear away with time.

• Not counting the cost
  • Failing to count the cost looks like: “I want to lose 25 pounds… But I don’t want to make any life style changed”.  When making a goal it is important to think about what the ‘cost’ will be of actually achieving it.  So if the goal is 25 pounds then their will be some definite lifestyle changes that will affect you day to day.  Not considering these changes will definitely get in the way of accomplishing your goal.

• Lack of self-confidence
  • Sometimes after declaring a goal, we can begin to question if we ‘have what it takes’ to actually get it done.  Feeling insecure or doubting yourself can stop you in your tracks and make accomplishing your goal a dream that is out of reach.
  • I believe that if you have been able to ‘dream’ something then by God’s grace you can accomplish it, if you are depending on Him for strength.  The scripture Philippians 4:12 speaks about this, and for me I find this passage to be very encouraging when I am faced with my own insecurities or self doubt.

• Too many Goals
  • Having too many things you are focusing on might result in your inability to give 100% to any one thing/goal.  Having too many goals will likely result in not doing anything well.  Ever heard of that term ‘Jack of All Trades… Master of None…’
  • If you’ve got a goal or big dream it is important that you give 100%… or as close as you can to achieving it regularly until it is completed.  Shifting your focus around to many other goals can sometimes cloud your vision, and take away momentum from tackling and ultimately realizing your goal.

• Lack of accountability
  • Having a person or a few people who recognize your goal/plan of action and are supportive of you is important.  This person can help keep you stay on task by checking up on you, helping to ensure you follow through on your tasks, and can also inspire/encourage you to keep on moving when things get challenging.
  • Having people in your life who believe in you, and WANT to see you succeed is so very important.  Not having people that help to keep you on task can become very discouraging and lonely.  It’s easy to lose momentum when you feel like you are the only one who cares about whether or not you realize your goal. 

So …. How does this sound so far?  To me it seems like there are MANY MANY obstacles that could possibly get in the way of achieving ones goal(s).  This is just my little list, and I’m sure if you check in with yourself you may also come up with a few things that have stood in the way of you successfully realizing your goal(s). 

My encouragement to you is not to become overwhelmed or discouraged by the potential roadblocks that can or are getting in your way.  Instead, take note of the areas you are struggling with, and guard yourself against them.  If you have a dream I believe you can GET IT DONE… now you’ve got to believe this more than me, and do what you need to do to make that dream your reality.

All the best and God Bless!!!

C

p.s. WOW… this blog ended up being A LOT longer than I expected… Thank you if you actually read it to the end!!! lol and I hope it encourages and inspires you in some way!