Goals can be a great tool for being successful in your business, but it’s important to keep tabs on them and make sure meeting them doesn’t consume you. Here’s a secret…it’s okay to give up on goals. I know that can be a little counterintuitive because we feel set goals to achieve them. But sometimes it’s okay not to reach our goals, it’s okay to let goals go. This can and should be a positive thing. Giving up on some goals doesn’t equal failure.
Let’s unpack a couple of reasons why you might not be able to hit goals that you’re setting for yourself and then when it’s okay to let some of those goals go.
Your Goals Aren’t Specific Enough
It’s extremely important to make sure that your goals are S.M.A.R.T.
Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-Based
If your goals are too vague, it can be difficult to know whether you are meeting them or not. This can lead to the production of vague results for your business. The more specific and measurable your goals are, the more you can create an effective game plan and strategy for your business.
Having a Negative Mindset
The mindset that you have is either one of the best or worst things you can do for yourself and the success of your business. When you are feeling overcome by doubt, it can lead to feeling like you are failing at reaching your goals. Feelings of inadequacy can creep in when you aren’t getting the results or meeting the goals you had set out to. Once you allow these thoughts in, it’s super difficult to have confidence in your abilities. How do you combat this? Try to tap into what that negative self-talk is and what is driving your doubts. That can help flip your mindset and ultimately help you figure out where you might need help in your business in order to try to start achieving some of those goals.
You might not be working on your goals
You might also just not be working on your goals. I’ve talked about this before. Life can come at you quickly. There are so many things trying to get your attention. It can be hard to focus on our goals and give your business the time it needs. There is something to be said about maintaining a healthy “work-life balance“, and I’m all for that. But of course, in business (and in life), action produces results. If your goals revolve around achieving certain results, it requires action. My challenge for you is to set time aside for yourself while also setting time to work on the goals of your business. If we’re not actively spending time on our goals for our business, we’re not going to be able to achieve them.
Your goals may not be motivating you
There is a possibility that your goals aren’t motivating you. Creating and running a business demands many different types of skills and tasks. Maybe you’re at a stage in your business where you don’t really want to do these tasks that you know you have to do for your business. That’s where it comes down to outsourcing. If you feel like the goals and necessary tasks that you have in your business just aren’t motivating you, are they the right goals? Should these be things in your business that you’re trying to achieve? If so, are there ways that you can outsource pieces of those goals and tasks? Asking these questions will allow you to focus on the bigger picture and bring your motivation back.
You may not be good at handling failure
Let’s just face it, we BOTH probably aren’t good at handling failure. We will get to a point where we stop ourselves because we are afraid that we are going to fail. The end results seem dim and far away and we aren’t getting the results we were hoping for. Failure is a BIG part of business. We should welcome failure (I know this is easier said than done), knowing that every failure is an opportunity to learn. Looking back, we learn what to continue doing and what to avoid next time. I have spent countless amounts of money and time doing things in my business that ultimately did not pan out. I wasted a lot of energy, BUT, every time I did things in my business that failed, it helped put things into perspective for me. It made both me and my business stronger, don’t be afraid of it!
When is it time to let go of our goals?
If they are no longer serving you
If a goal has adverse consequences, then it might be time to let that goal go. For example, you want more time in your business so you create the goal of becoming more productive. You start making changes like waking up earlier every morning. You’ve set your alarm and are up every morning at five o’clock before the sun comes up. What could be the adverse consequence of this goal? You are trying to achieve more, but is it coming at the expense of your quality of life? This could lead to you being more tired every day, taking extra time to get in the right mindset and have the focus you need. It’s important to evaluate your goals and ensure that the consequences of these goals aren’t actually causing more pain than gain.
Not appropriate for the reality of your life
There are about a million different goals that you can make throughout your life. One of the most important parts of these goals is aligning them with your reality. Life is constantly changing and evolving, and so should your goals. If they aren’t, then it is unrealistic to be able to succeed and achieve them. It’s okay to let go of a goal when it doesn’t fit or make sense in your life. I know I should be posting more on my social media. I also know that right now, where I am in my life in this season, it’s busy. Posting daily on my social media doesn’t align with my life at the moment. So what do I do? I’m not going to worry about putting goals that have to do with posting on social media. Because right now, that’s not appropriate for where I am. If it doesn’t align with the reality of your life, it’s okay to give them up, reevaluate, and see if they serve you better in the future.
Failure is a part of business. This means that sometimes, we will not be achieving all of our goals. It is okay to reevaluate our goals and holistically to figure out what’s working and what’s not. It is okay to put goals aside. Don’t be afraid of failure. Don’t be afraid of not achieving certain things in your business. Give yourself some grace, reevaluate, and then do what you have to do to reset in your business and make goals that makes sense for you.
Leave a Reply