For a positive and productive 2025, set intrinsically motivating goals:
There are many reasons why we don’t achieve our goals. Sometimes stuff happens that means we can’t continue. And if so, that is ok because in life it is a given that we will experience setbacks and life changing events. How we respond to these, will determine how we get through them.
Making little progress towards achieving your goals can be discouraging and disheartening, causing you to lose focus and momentum, or even give up. You may tell yourself you don’t understand why you’re not getting anywhere and blame it on everyone/everything but yourself. You’re not being given the opportunities… you’ve not got the money… they’re just not interested… or whatever reason you tell yourself. However, if you dig deep, I believe that you know the real reason why it’s not happening.
If you’re not getting the results you want, it’s time to have an honest, open review with yourself to find out what's going on for you, rather than becoming demotivated, discouraged and giving up.
If you didn’t achieve your goals in 2024 because of a lack of action on your part, or other external barriers, here are 5 tips to help you regain momentum for 2025. These 5 tips will help pick yourself back up and continue working towards your prize.
Get real
Is your goal too big for you at this moment in time? Whilst I’m all for setting big, hairy, scary goals, if your goals are too big, it can be overwhelming.
Is this the case with you? Does what you want to achieve feel so overwhelming that it causes you to procrastinate? If so, break your goal down into smaller, more manageable steps. Steps that still challenge and stretch you, but that don’t overwhelm you. Then focus on taking one step at a time.
Re-evaluate your goals to make sure that you’re not trying to the impossible.
Get back your focus
With so many distractions around us, it is easy to lose focus and chase after shiny objects. Those distractions we think will get us quick results, but are often a waste of our time. Re-assess what is needed to achieve your goal. Work out the exact steps to take, and stick to the plan.
The next time you come face to face with a distracting shiny object, ask yourself, how it helps you to achieve your goals. Is it a distraction because you are overwhelmed; don’t know what to do or how to do it; you’re fearful; or feel discouraged or demotivated?
If you have been getting distracted, what can you do to overcome this?
Take a break
You may think it counterproductive to stop and rest when you’re not achieving your desired results. But taking a break and going back to it with a fresh perspective can reignite your creativity and thinking.
When we are working towards a goal (particularly if a lot is riding on the outcome) it is easy to compromise on sleep and leisure activities. Some of us think we need to be at it 24/7 and push on rather than making time to rest and play.
You are creative, resourceful, and capable of achieving extraordinary things. But when we are tired and the negative self-talk is in full flow, we do not achieve optimal performance.
Take regular breaks and make the time to rest and play.
Be consistent
How consistent are you in taking action? If achieving a particular goal requires taking specific action, once, twice, three times a week, month, or whatever frequency is needed, have you stuck to this consistently?
Really?
Or were there too many times when you didn’t do what was needed? Or did you take the action once or twice but because nothing happened, you got discouraged and gave up?
I often get clients who tell me that they can’t get a promotion, or they can’t get a new job, but they are not doing the activities that will position themselves to achieve this. Some think that their work will speak for itself. But, whilst their work is of an exceptional standard, they still need to do the necessary work to raise their visibility and self-promote.
They do things such as being active on LinkedIn a few times, but because they don’t see immediate results, they become discouraged and disheartened, and don’t continue.
What frequency do you need to be doing what is needed to get the results you want?
For the next few months, make a conscious effort to consistently do what is needed, and if you’re still not getting results, reassess and try something different.
Get help
At certain times in our lives and careers, we need the support and encouragement of others. We can’t do it all by ourselves all of the time and it is OK to ask for help. What support and encouragement do you need, and who can help you?
Identify what it is that you need support with and get help from the person best equipped to help you with it. Or find someone to hold you accountable.
It can be discouraging when you are working towards a goal and not seeing the results you want. If you are honest with yourself, you know the real reason why this is. Developing a solution-focused outlook will make it easier for you to identify what it is you need to do about it.
What obstacles got in the way of you achieving your goals in 2024 and what can you do differently in 2025?
If psychological barriers such as fear, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, a lack of self-confidence, perfectionism, or other self-limiting beliefs get in the way of you achieving your goals, join my 5 Day Mind Cleanse challenge starting on Monday 6 January and I will show you how to address this. Find out more at https://bit.ly/3C7Z4pf.
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