The reason you aren’t reaching your goals isn’t due to lack of trying, nor is it your intelligence. Most likely you have fallen into one of the six categories below and just need a little support refocusing your efforts. You can be brilliant at your craft, but with the wrong infrastructure your progress can be completely halted or you may be dedicated and focused, but it may be on the wrong things. Here are the six reasons why you aren't reaching your goals and how to take action so you can start making epic shit happen in your business.
Here are the Six Reasons that you aren't achieving your goals & how to take action:
- You don't have the infrastructure to get there
- You're not tracking your metrics
- Distractions and instant gratification
- Negative Self-talk; the mindset trap
- Motivation & discipline
- You may not be focusing on the right things
You Don’t have the Infrastructure to get there
What are the tools, resources, systems, people that you need to have in your business in order to succeed. Here is a really silly, but ABSOLUTELY necessary example: trying to blog without WiFi. Or maybe you need an accountability partner to set yourself up for more accountability.
Often, we need certain tools to excel a.k.a. the right software, a computer, we may need professional advice or we need a support group or sisterhood that can give us a second opinion.
Here is How to Take Action: Do a business audit
Brendon Burchard says it like this...you go to a doctor to have a check up to make sure your health is up to par and all is well. They may give you recommendations to make sure you are on track. Why is it any different for your business?
MIC DROP: It isn’t
Do not feel guilty for taking care of your business and your personal growth. You own your path, your process, and your resources. Work on yourself and your business in a way that supports both a positive and high vibe as well as growth and opportunity.
Here are the questions you need to ask yourself:
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Do you have the resources (tools, systems, people) you need to be successful in this moment?
- If not, what are they?
- If yes, what about in a year, what does that look like?
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Are you getting feedback in your business?
- Those that stay in their bubble and do not get external feedback will not be as productive, as efficient nor as up to speed on opportunities for growth and ideas.
- If yes, great how are you using it?
- If no, would you consider getting a mentor, accountability partner, business coach or consultant?
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Do you have the right processes in your business to grow?
- If yes, great, ensure they are accessible and keep asking yourself what you can automate.
- If no, write a list of the repeatable processes that take place in your biz every day and then one by one create checklists and review them to see if there would ever be a way to automate those processes in the future.
Your Not Tracking Your Metrics
A good business owner knows where they are at. You need to track your progress. Any time that you set a goal it should have a timeline as well as a success criteria. Success criteria is your standards of success for that particular goal to prove it to be successful.
In reality, any investment of time you are making you should know what goal that is going toward and how to quantify it. That means you need to know your numbers and be able speak to what the ROI for that activity is.
Think about it like this: You know your goals. So being HYPER AWARE of where you want to be will force you to check in with your progress.
Here is How to take Action: Check-In
- Set a time to check in your metrics every week for an hour. YES, every week.
- If you are not where you want to be, identify why that may or may not be happening.
- Make a change and create a plan to test another way or method.
Distractions & Instant Gratification
HERE IS A BIG ONE: Stop getting distracted by the things and people that have nothing to do with your goals.
Whether it is the instant gratification from getting something done and seeing results right away or the distraction that feels good in the moment, you need to cut these disturbances out of your life stat!
Social Media is one of the top distractions that impact entrepreneurs. There is a fine balance between allowing what serves you in your business to take up your time versus an impulse and habit derived action that provides no ROI.
Social media is a space where time can get sucked up all too quickly if not self-regulated.
Here is How to take Action: Block out the Noise
- Number one, go to your Instagram and add the timer alert on your settings to notify you of how much time you are spending per day. It will send you an automatic notification when you have spent whatever time you indicated on your settings through a pop up reminder.
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Have your overarching goal list visible where you can see it.
- From there create a list digitally that indicates the milestones that you need to achieve to get to your goal in order. Then self-reflect and write down some of the things you notice yourself doing in your day that do not ladder back to those goals. Write down the things that distract you from your goals.
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Stay away from shiny object syndrome: when you get distracted with marketing, information or people telling you to consider additional avenues, check in with your goals and see if they align with where you are going.
- Let's say that fits... great.
- If not, identify if it fits with your overarching vision.
- However, if so, put it on your list for next year or mid-way through the year (juggling too many goals can also be a distraction).
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Perfection is a distraction
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Questions to ask yourself:
- Are you a perfectionist?
- Do you need there to be the perfect conditions before promoting yourself or your service?
- Does perfection ever get in the way of your time management?
- If answered yes to any of these questions then your new mantra needs to be: “progress over perfection.”
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Questions to ask yourself:
“Trying to do it all and expecting it all can be done exactly right is a recipe for disappointment. Perfection is the enemy”
-Sheryl Sandburg
Negative Self-talk; the Mindset Trap
Another big reason you may not be meeting your goals is that you are self-sabotaging. You may say things to yourself like, “They are already doing this really well, I couldn’t possibly compete,” or “that number is unrealistic for my business.”
A couple other examples are procrastinating which prolongs your opportunities (pssst...I know we all have a little bit in us).
You may find yourself not feeling worthy of being able to achieve your goals or that people may not perceive you as worthy. Often some may feel that if they control their own failure then that is better than getting blind-sided.
We need to realize that we have mindset blocks when it comes to all of the above, to money, to failure, to growth and sometimes even with success.
Here is How to Take Action: Identify your limiting beliefs and behaviors
You need to become more aware that, “your perception shapes your reality.”
- Example: “I don’t have enough time.” Instead of thinking this way, shift your perception into abundance and tell yourself that, “I have all the time in the world for the priorities that are the most important to me.”
- When you shift your perception, amazing things can happen and you can open yourself up to new ways of thinking, acting and opportunities for more positive vibes.
- Sometimes we aren’t even aware of the beliefs that are holding us back. You are in fact the creator of your reality. This interesting part is that we have been wired from a young age to believe certain things of what is true and what is not true about the people and things around you as well as what is true about yourself and your abilities.
- Write down the beliefs that you feel are not serving you in a list form.
- Then, on the right, write down what you would prefer to think instead. Be clear on what you feel is right.
- Now, start looking for proof that the beliefs you want to think are true.
Motivation
Motivation is not always easy. One day we feel super inspired and the next all you wanna do is binge watch netflix with all the salty foods you can find.
The first step is getting in the right zone so you can be motivated and that starts with self-care. The second is discipline as it goes hand in hand with motivation.
Keeping a routine that will motivate and inspire you is so important as a solopreneur. The third way is surrounding yourself with a community of like-minded people.
Here is How to Take Action:
Self-care: By creating a space that makes you happy and ensuring your body is ready for the day is crucial to motivation. Think of it this way...you gotta put gas in the car to get somewhere. Self-care is the first step of doing the things you need to do to be most productive. All of these self-care things are directly correlated to your physical energy and your mental clarity:
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Eating right
- Continual learning whether it is from your favorite podcasts, coaches, courses, and eating right.
Motivation and discipline go hand in hand. When you are disciplined you continue to pursue getting what you said you were going to get done complete. When you do the dang thing you often see results, even if it is the satisfaction that it is completed. The little wins and rewards of checking off the boxes are great, and more importantly it is motivating to see the progress.
- Create a routine that you plan to stick to
- Give yourself “me” time so you can rock out the self-care stuff above.
- Create a to-do list for every week, then digitize it every Monday.
- Know your why for each goal….this should resonate in your GUT as to why you are rocking this biz and what the overarching reason that motivates you.
- Provide yourself with a source for learning, because a growth-minded individual will be continually inspired and therefore more motivated.
Another way to be motivated everyday is to surround yourself with like-minded people. I have found that whether you have a few accountability buddies that have a similar mindset, you feed each other information that supports both your growth and creative ideas.
You May not be Focusing on the Right Things.
Your focus can either hinder or promote the trajectory of achieving your goals. It is important that based on the stage of where your business is, your road map and focus reflects the right activities.
For example; if your business is in its early stages and you're working on creating a webinar, your focus should really be on creating a compelling offer.
Many new online entrepreneurs quickly become overwhelmed with all the things they need to do and master which leads to overwhelm and confusion of their next steps.
Here is How to Take Action:
Having the right focus cuts the overwhelm and gives you clarity.
In order to properly assess where you should be focusing your efforts, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you have an overarching vision and your goals to get there?
- What have you already achieved?
- What marketing activities should you be focusing on to get to your goals?
- Can you start saying, "no,' to certain activities until a later stage?
Now, identify your stage:
- Beginner (idea but not an established business)
- Starting out (idea for your business, little to no online presence, no email list, followers or clients)
- Middle Hustle (online presence, creating content consistently, know your customer, building your audience, making some $)
- Growing Biz (generating income, steady flow of email subscribers, nice following, momentum and leads, building good authority in your niche)
Adjust Your Focus:
- Beginner: Focus on researching your idea, market, understanding your customer and getting feedback on your direction
- Starting Out: Create a clear message, ensure your product / service is solid, name your biz, create your website, curate your brand, create your social network, create your content calendar
- Middle Hustle: creating content, creating opt-ins, growing social, build brand awareness, ensure your product is converting.
- Build sales funnels for your services, improve your conversion, explore joint ventures, improve email funnel, grow your team, automate your marketing activities, create webinars etc., close more clients / sales.
Ensuring that you are minimizing distractions of the stages ahead of where you are at is crucial to maintaining maniacal focus.
Final Thoughts
You have been doing a stellar job and everyone falls into one of these categories at some time in their career, it is just important that you recognize it so that you can make changes and start giving yourself the right attention and support you need.
If you take anything from this list I think the MOST important one is motivation because it sets you up to get information, self-care, discipline and learning in order to grow as a business and as a person.
If you are still overwhelmed and need a second eye that can help you assess where you are currently at and get you, “unstuck,” let’s chat.
My name is Kristine and I am a business coach/ consultant that works with service-based entrepreneurs who are overwhelmed and are ready to start simplifying their processes and creating stellar strategies for growth.
I help determined business owners make epic moves in their business so that they can make more money and live more freely.
I know that sometimes the hardest part is holding yourself accountable and not having someone to help curate your strategy with.
If you’re looking for someone that meets your vibe and is here to help you grow and be accountable in your journey, click here to learn more about what I do and schedule a quick chat!
