166. Why People Fail To Reach Goals

This is the season we set new year’s resolutions and goals, so let’s talk about why are people failing to reach their goals? Because this is one of the top questions I get asked.

There are so many reasons why people may fail to reach their goals but the top reasons include:

1. Lack of motivation or discipline: It can be hard to maintain the motivation and discipline needed to consistently work towards a goal, especially if the goal is difficult or requires a long-term commitment. It’s so much easier to stay motivated in Janurary, but once Feb. comes around, much of the motivation dies. So by that point it’s no longer about being motivated, it’s more about just taking action, consistent actions, aligned actions. 
2. Lack of a clear plan: Without a clear plan or roadmap for how to achieve a goal, it can be difficult to stay on track and make progress. 
3. Lack of resources: Some goals may require resources such as time, money, or support from others, and if these resources are not available, it can be challenging to make progress towards the goal. So be honest with yourself, do you have the support system you need to get to where you want to go. Don’t have enough time? That’s BS we will always have time for our top priorities, so manage your priorities! No money? That’s BS there are tons of way to get funds, you will find funding if you truly wanted to. Don’t have a support system? Have you invested yourself in a coach or coaching program? 
4. Unrealistic expectations: Setting overly ambitious goals or expecting too much of oneself can lead to disappointment and a lack of progress.
5. External circumstances: Sometimes, external factors such as illness, unexpected changes in one’s personal or professional life, or other unforeseen events can make it difficult to achieve a goal.
6. The name “goal” itself is hard to accomplish. Think of the world cup, world’s top teams come together and many teams still score zero. Because we have goalies (self doubt & inner criticism etc) stopping us from reaching the goal. Rename the goal to something else. Intentions etc. 
7. I think the most important one is not having enough fun. If you are having enough fun while reaching your goals it’s alot easier to get there. 

Ultimately, the specific reasons why a person may fail to reach a goal will depend on their individual circumstances and the specific goal they are trying to achieve. But always remember circumstances are neutral and we get to determine if we put a positive or negative spin on these circumstances that come up in life. 

So let’s wrap up with what we should do to reach our new year’s resolution or goals:

1. Find out what truly motivates you and set a reward accordingly. Find the best modality that keeps you motivated and even when motivation is not present, keep yourself disciplined.
2. Reverse engineer and set up a clear plan for your top priorities for the year, then month. 
3. Seek out help, resources are readily available everywhere, keep an open mind for help and opportunities. 
4. Set SMART goals. 
5. When external circumstances arise, fix the strategy or work ahead of schedule to avoid illness etc. 
6. Change the name of your goal to something that speaks more joy to you. 
7. Have more fun. Make a list of how you can have more fun. 

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