"Your goal may not be going as planned, but every step you take is progress. Stay focused, stay consistent, and keep believing in yourself." 

We’ve all been there…

You set a goal with enthusiasm, excited about the dream and possibility of achieving something or making a change in your life for the better, but somewhere along the journey things aren’t panning out the way you envisioned. It’s a frustrating and disheartening experience, but it’s also a common one. In fact, it’s the reason that 92% of people fail at their New Year’s resolutions and why 62% give up within the first month. 

Setting goals is one thing. Building them out with clarity and focus, following through on them, and holding yourself accountable is another thing entirely. It’s not that our goals aren’t “good enough” or that they lack personal meaning. Often it’s that we haven’t designed the right systems and processes around our goals to set ourselves up for success. We can’t stay consistent if we implement something we are unaware of or commit to something that isn’t clear.

Yet this is what we do.

It’s like a round hole square peg moment + groundhog’s day all rolled into one. Add in the definition of insanity- doing the same thing over and over yet expecting a different outcome or result- and you’ve got the perfect formula for how most Americans go about setting and achieving their goals. 

No wonder we give up, get frustrated, and throw in the towel. What happens when our goals aren’t “goaling” and what can we do to redirect, stay on track and become refocused and recommitted to our goals?

The key to overcoming this hurdle lies in how you respond and adapt. In my work as an accountability coach and vision board expert, having delivered leadership and professional development workshops to over forty corporations, here are the three best ways to redirect and realign when your goal isn’t "goaling."

1: Reevaluate and Reflect: “Zooming out on our goals and getting the 34,000 foot view allows us to see where we might be missing a path to success that could get us there with more ease.” 

Assess the Situation: Take a step back and honestly evaluate why your goal isn’t progressing. Getting radically candid with yourself can be scary and uncomfortable but doing so will propel you forward to success a lot faster than excuse and denial. Are there external factors at play contributing to your lack of forward movement? Did you underestimate the resources or time needed to accomplish your goal? By answering these questions, you’re providing yourself with a better roadmap to understanding what might be going wrong. 

Reflect on Your Why: Reconnect with the original purpose of your goal. Remember, your goals should be 100% personal to you. No one else has to understand your goal(s) because they’re not the ones working towards them daily. Taking the time to truly reflect on your why will deepen your commitment and reignite your passion while providing greater clarity. And clarity gives us the confidence to keep moving forward.

2: Adjust and Realign: “If we’re running a race and we get tired, we rest for a moment or briskly walk - we don’t just give up. We should approach our goals the same way.”

Revise Your Plan: It’s okay to adjust your goals. It’s okay to change your mind on a goal altogether. That is the beauty of being human and evolving as a person and individual. In fact, Warren Buffet speaks about this dynamic in his book, “Tap Dancing to Work” as he acknowledges that most successful people understand - and place value - on knowing when it is time to step away from a goal and revise their plan.

Set Milestones: When people train for a marathon, they don’t show up on Day 1 and run 26.2. They start by taking it one mile at a time. If you’re having trouble visualizing your goal in big picture terms, break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks or milestones. This makes them less overwhelming and more achievable. Creating short-term milestones that lead to your larger goal are very beneficial to your overall mental motivation to stay focused and ‘in the race’ so you can see your goal to the finish line. To maintain a healthy and solid level of motivation, spend time weekly celebrating your small wins and milestones along the way to goal completion.

3: Implement Systems and Processes: “Our goals are only as strong as the systems and processes that support them.”

Create a Routine: Establish daily or weekly routines that support your goal. I’m a big fan of morning and evening routines because each sets you up for success in different ways but both are incredibly beneficial - and I’d argue necessary, if you’re truly working to create lasting change in your life. Consistency is key in making progress but routines create the guidelines for how to build that consistency.

Utilize Tools and Resources: Leverage technology, apps, or other resources to stay organized and track your progress. In my work with clients, it is imperative they find what works best for them. No two people are alike - therefore we do not all goal-set and plan the same way. From the work-back method to Toggl, to Pomodoro and the Pareto principle, digital calendars or color coded paper - choose what is going to keep you the most organized and focused. 

Accountability Partners: In a study done at Franciscan University in California, Dr. Gail Matthews determined that when we write out our goals, create an action plan, and then share our goals with a friend or accountability partner - we are 76% more likely to achieve our goals. It goes without saying that accountability matters.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

– Winston Churchill

Remember, every setback is a setup for a comeback. We might not always hit the mark, run the race as fast as we wanted, or crush our daily routines like we anticipated. But when things aren’t going as planned, it’s an opportunity for us to learn, grow, and become even more resilient in our goal setting journey. Setbacks force us to ponder our why and they push us to honor it. 

When your goal isn’t "goaling," it’s a call to action to reassess, realign, and recommit to your goals. To evaluate their meaning and purpose in your life. Being mindful of these aspects of goal setting and maintaining a positive and proactive mindset can help us navigate through the challenges that come our way to achieve our aspirations. The journey to success is rarely linear, but it’s the perseverance and resilience you show along the way that truly defines you and guides you towards creating the vision for your life and the goals that are yet to come. 

"Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going."

– Sam Levenson