Let’s face it; the year is over halfway done. Your goals aren’t even close to being complete. So is it time to give up and try again next year? No!!
Please don’t give up. I haven’t, and you wouldn’t believe how far behind I am. But, together, we can do this, or at least come out with most of our goals clicked off our lists.
We make goals so that by the end of a period of time (usually a year,) we will have achieved the goals, not failed most of them. It’s sort of like a broken promise to ourselves. And it’s not always easy. Especially if unexpected things get in the way. If something truly stopped you in your tracks and ruined your chances of completing all of your goals, I can understand that. My best excuse ever was my brain tumor two years ago. But I can’t continue to use that excuse every year. Do you have an excuse that you are using this year? Can you still complete some of your goals? What’s stopping you?
Setting goals is easy
I have been doing a great job setting goals for the year, both last year and this year. Unfortunately, reaching my goals hasn’t been going as well as I hoped. And I finally figured out why. I’m not very committed. Wanting to lose weight and doing something to lose weight are two different things. How can I possibly lose weight if I don’t make an effort? How will I ever hit 1000 miles if I never venture outside? It hasn’t been 100 degrees all year.
Did you plan to succeed?
Is there something that you would like to remove from your goals list, or at least do a do-over on the amount you set as a goal? Honestly, I know there is no way I can reach my goal to hit 1,000 steps this year, but in this case, it has been my goal for years now, and this will be the worst I have done in accomplishing it. Technically, there is still time, but realistically I would have to walk about four miles a day for the rest of the year. I currently average 1-2 miles a day. I could quit now, or I could start picking up my pace and continuing to do that so that I will crush it next year.
And therein lies a lot of the problem. I have a list of items that I have been ignoring. How am I supported to lose any weight if I never put a plan in place? So finally, this month, I started a program that I used before, and I think it went by the wayside because of that pesky brain tumor. I mean, who is counting calories while in the hospital eating pretty much nothing? Or once they are home from the hospital and nothing sounds good to eat. Nope, I quit the program and spent two years gaining weight. So I’ve started it up again. And you know what, it’s working. I am finally on the downward path to reach my weight goal. And I might actually make that goal if I keep it up.
Failure is always possible
Do you have a goal like that? Something that if you took it seriously starting now, you might make it? Then get going. We only have just over five months left. How about any item you haven’t made progress on? I have one of those. Now is the time for us to get started on them. Start with baby steps and then get running. There is plenty of time, and you can do this.
Research by the University of Scranton has said that 92% don’t achieve their goals for the year. I don’t think that means they didn’t achieve any of their goals; they didn’t achieve them all. So at this point in the year, it’s a decision. Am I going to fail, or am I going to put a plan into action? I don’t plan to be a complete failure. How about you? Are you ready to put a plan into action, or are you content to mark off another year as a failure?
Re-energize
Last year I set 10 goals. I completed seven of them. However, I failed on three of them. I did start them, but I didn’t put in enough effort to complete them. That, in my book, is not what I call success.
I don’t mind if you remove your impossible goal if that is what it will take to re-energize you to work on the other items on your list. I won’t tell anyone.
This year isn’t over. Get motivated. Take some baby steps. Re-energize. Make some progress. Commit yourself to give it your best shot. Don’t quit now; if nothing else, start building up momentum toward accomplishing the goal next year.
It must be borne in mind, that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach. – Benjamin E. Mays
We both have goals we want to reach. How are your goals coming along? Honestly? Don’t despair. If you make a plan, you can achieve more than you think you can. Are you going to start working again on those goals? Let me know in the reply section. We can do this together!
