Don’t Let These 7 Roadblocks Stop You From Achieving Your Goals in 2018
As we enter into the new year, no doubt we have new inspirations, aspirations and projects to tackle. If 2017 wasn’t the best year for you or you didn’t complete some of the projects intended; no worries, here comes 2018 – a fresh start!
Before we get overly excited and start this year’s goal setting session, let me ask you this question: What stopped you from achieving your goals last year? If it didn’t work last year, then what makes you think you will get that unfinished/unactioned project done this year?
Let’s take a look at the 7 most common roadblocks that stop many people from achieving their yearly goals:
To many people, goal setting is like a ritual they perform at the beginning of each year. Once they set the goals and felt good about it for a brief moment, they then move on to do other things and forget about the goals until the year end or next year when the cycle repeats. Set and forget might work as a passive investment strategy but passivity is no help in achieving your yearly goals.
If you want to stay on track, you must be regularly reminded of what your goals are. Here are a few ways to do that:
– Write your goals down and put them up somewhere visible. Ideally in places you will visit daily e.g. behind the toilet door is a good one since you are likely to visit it a few times a day. Or the makeup table mirror for the ladies.
– Set regular reminders on your mobile phone to complete tasks that contribute to achieving your goals (more on that later).
– Don’t just tell someone about your goal. go and find someone who shares your goal and do it together! Just like going to the gym, it’s easier to stay committed when you have a friend who understands but at the same time keeping you accountable to your actions (or lack there of).
This common roadblock usually couples with the one above where forgetfulness follows distraction when life starts to get busy. New things and projects pop up that demand your immediate attention and time. Sometimes these things take up a unified big chunk of your time; other things might be a combination of odd jobs that never seem to end. Either way, the outcome is the same: these other “priorities” keep you distracted and drain you of the precious time you otherwise would have spent on your goals.
Time is fair for everyone. Since we all have 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year, how you prioritise your time dictates whether you achieve your goals in 2018 or not. Wisdom is not only found in knowing what to at the appropriate time; it is equally important to know what NOT to do. #priorities
“This year I am going to repaint the living room!”
“This year I am going to retile the kitchen floor!”
Great, but is it really what you want or is it only something your partner / family wants? Deep inside perhaps your real response to doing these projects are: Meh’s + Sigh’s… Nonetheless, you feel obligated to do them because you don’t have a choice.
If you don’t find the action of painting or laying tiles on the floor fascinating; CONGRATZ, you are not alone! So if you must do something that you find no interest or reason in doing, how do you actually get over it?? The secret lies in shifting your focus on the end result. Think about how it will make you feel when you have finally done it. How would your partner or family feel? Imagine the smiles on their face? THIS, my friend is the reward of your goal. Your project (however difficult and tedious it may be) is in fact a hidden opportunity and not a daunting task.
Are you unconsciously setting goals that conflict with your identity? We all have certain perception of who we are (our identity) whether or not we are aware of it. Our actions are the results of how we see the world and our belief about it. For example, if (I believe) I am a punctual person, then I naturally do everything I can to get to places on time. This may include leaving the house 10-15 minutes earlier to cater for minor unforeseen traffic conditions. Other people will never do this simply because it’s not part of their identities.
Similarly, if I am not a “handyman” type of guy, I will likely try to get out of doing any hands-on manual work unless it’s survival related. “I’m too busy… It’s too hard…” Excuses 101, 102… In this “non-handyman” identity example, if I were to set myself a goal to retile the entire bathroom this year. What are the chances you think I have to accomplish it? Pretty slim, right? Without properly tuning my mindset and attitude, it’s guarantee failure because I set a goal for myself that directly conflicts with my identity. This goal is incongruent with who I am. So unless your intent is to expand your comfort zone and challenge your identity, stick with goals that align with what’s natural to you.
If I ask you the question, “How do you eat an elephant?” You can probably answer it in your sleep, “One bite at a time, of course”. We have all heard this saying many times. However, when it comes to practicing this in real life, an interesting phenomenon often happens.
For some strange reason, many people would suddenly forget this one-bite-at-a-time answer and just run straight for the beast. Instead of taking the time to analyse the goal and planning out what needs to be done logically and systematically. All of a sudden they revert back to trying to stuff the entire elephant down their throat. As a result, goals are left unfinished because either time ran out or they gave up part way because the elephant was too big. Don’t just talk the talk but walk the walk.
Stick to the A.P.E. rule and smash out all your goals in 2018:
Fear is an interesting tool. When used in the right context and with proper care, fear can propel a person quickly towards their goals. Helping them overcome even the most difficult and harsh circumstances. However, when fear is left to its own device, it has the power to ground a person to complete inaction.
The fear of the unknown, also commonly known as the “I don’t know how…” has left many dreams and goals hung up high and dry. Unless your 2018 goal is to send a rocket into space (someone has already done that by the way), I imagine most people’s goals don’t approach this level of difficulty. These days we learn practically anything at our finger tips (thanks Google!). So sweep your “I don’t know how” excuses off the table and get cracking on your goals. Use your “fear of failure” to fuel your project success in 2018!
These days even kids in primary schools are swiping left, right and centre either on the phone, tablet or the latest i-gadget. Physically writing on a piece of paper with a pen is almost a lost art, given how convenient and fast technologies are. Did you know that writing by hand actually affects your brain differently than typing? When you put an idea down in writing, you force your brain to turn a tangible concept (e.g. your goals) in a concrete object. When you write something down, you are also less likely to forget.
Take this further and write your goals down in a big & bold format. Put them somewhere highly visible. And don’t forget to set reminders on your phone to engage these goals regularly. Avoid the above common roadblocks and 2018 might just be your best year yet!
If you need any help on your project or simply want to learn more about how to get started on your ideas, our OzTop team is ready to help. Click this link www.oztop.com.au for more information about our services and products.
Alternatively, you can give us a call any time between Mondays to Fridays 9am to 5pm on 07 3380 2988 or visit our store to discuss your needs in person at 1/12 Booran Drive, Woodridge QLD 4114.
We look forward to serving you in 2018 and helping you achieve your goals – To Your Success!
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