Bad news… you aren’t going to reach your goals.

Why?  Unfortunately, there are many reasons.

We set goals all the time.  But, often, we do not reach them.

They end up unfinished or denied.  Or worse… simply forgotten.

Today, let’s look at 8 reasons that most people do not reach their goals.

What’s Going to Stop You?

There are many reasons that goals go unfulfilled.  Maybe they were never clearly defined.  Maybe the discipline was not there.

For many, goal setting is a never ending circle that starts, stops, and begins again.  (Usually, centered around January 1st.)

To help us succeed in reaching our goals, let’s examine the reasons why many people fail at reaching them.

Here are 8 Reasons That You Won’t Reach Your Goals:

1.  You Don’t Have Any Goals

Wayne Gretsky famously said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

The same can be said of goals.  You will not attain 100% of the goals you don’t set.  Too many people are afraid to “set” their goals.  Afraid of failing.  Afraid of disappointment.  Afraid of what others might think.

Well, you definitely won’t complete them if you don’t try.  Make a choice and set your goals. Otherwise, you will end up wherever life takes you.

2.  You Don’t Start

OK, so you have a goal.  Maybe it’s to lose weight.  Or to learn a new skill.  To get a new hobby.

What have you done about it?  Have you started it yet?  What are you waiting for?

Tomorrow is always tomorrow.  Start today.

Procrastination is responsible for the demise of many goals.

3.  You Aren’t Willing to “Buy” Your Goals

What a minute, “buy my goals?”

Yes.  You have to buy your goals.

Why?  Because every goal has a price.  It has a cost. Time.  Money.  Sweat.  Sacrifice.  You will have to “pay” for your goals in some manner.  If you are not willing to make the investment, then you will not reach your goals.

Determine what your goal is going to cost you, and whether or not you are willing to pay the price.

4.  Your Goals Are Unrealistic

Setting goals is important, but ensuring that they are possible is important too.  If you set your goals impossibly high, then you are not grounded in reality.

Losing 30 lbs. in 30 days is not realistic.  Becoming CEO of your company in a year, probably not going to happen.

Make sure that your goals are possible and that you set an adequate time frame for success.

When my brother was a personal trainer, he used to work with clients who were frustrated with their lack of immediate results.  In these situations he would ask them, “How many years did it take you to get into the shape you’re in now?”  That set some perspective on why they had not changed their body in only 3 weeks of working out.

(Of course, it’s also possible to set goals too low.)

5.  You Won’t Stick With It

Over half of goals will be given up within 30 days.

You set your goals.  You started them.  And then… you gave up.

You didn’t have the discipline to stay the course.  Are you using life’s daily happenings as excuses?  I couldn’t go to the gym today because work was too busy.  I could not work on my book because I was too tired.

“Excuses are the enemy of discipline.”

Goals are not reached through one momentous effort.  Rather, they are made in small steps over time.

6.  They Are Not “Your” Goals

Why did you pick the goals you set?  Is it something that you wanted to accomplish?

Or is it something that others wanted you to do?  Something that was expected of you?

If you goals are not your own, you will not have the passion and drive to complete them. Too often, we put goals on our plate that are not our own.  In these cases, we are destined for failure.

Ensure that your goals align with your own values and dreams.

7.  You Will Fail… and You Won’t Get Back Up!

No one succeeds immediately.  Overnight success is a myth.  Those who appear to have effortlessly succeeded have usually put in years of preparation and practice.  Years.

The secret is that when you fall down… you have to get back up.  You have to fall down many times before you will succeed.  Skill is learned by doing.  And failing.  And doing it some more.

8.  You Quit Before the Finish Line

Too many people stop… right before the finish.

It’s almost like they don’t want to get there.  They are afraid of succeeding.

Often a life event is used as the reason for not finishing.  Something always comes up before you finish.

You get sick.  An emergency occurs.  Unforeseen events happen.  (Life always does…)

Don’t let “life” be the reason your do not attain your goal.

Reach Your Goals

Are you reaching your goals?  Which of these is keeping you from succeeding?

Are you “paying the price” for your goals, or are you simply letting life take you where it goes?

Set your goals.  Stay the course.  Always get back up when you fail.  And make sure you cross the finish line.

What is stopping you from reaching your goals?  What do you need to overcome?

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