The Three Things To Check If You’re Off Track

Napoleon Hill said, “a goal is a dream with a deadline”. Given the timescale you gave yourself to achieve your current goal, are you on target – or do you feel as if you’re behind?

If it’s the latter, don’t worry! It’s not uncommon to fall behind on your plans. After all, you can never be sure what life will throw at you. The good news is once you’ve recognized you’re not where you want to be, you can do something about it!

It could be as simple as making a few tweaks and you can get back to crushing it!

But what should you check to maximize your chances of success?

THREE things can help you regain your momentum and get the needle moving in the right direction. If you keep reading, I share them all with you now…

1. Are you taking consistent daily action?

Sprints can be a helpful way to kick-start your goal, but you need to be in it for the long-haul to go all the way.

They say the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time! The same applies to your goals. Without consistent action, you can only move ahead in spits and spurts. Remember, the hardest part of goal-getting is inspiring yourself to start! The more you stall, the more energy you require to get yourself moving again.

This is where your daily habits make all the difference.

Choose habits that align with your goals and make them non-negotiable [your Habit Roadmap can help with this.] Your chosen habits will depend on the goal you want to achieve, but here are some examples to get you started:

- Improve your fitness – close your activity rings
- Attract more clients – post on social media once a day
- Save for a vacation – quit the coffee shop coffee and save the money
- Improve speaking skills – go live once a day
- Etc.

Do your current habits align with where you say you want to go? If not, change them.

2. Are you making time?

Overwhelm can make it a challenge to achieve a goal alongside a busy schedule.

When you have other priorities to meet, it’s tempting to push your goal onto the backburner – especially if those other tasks feel more important in the moment.

For example:

- You skip your power walk because your boss gave you a last-minute task

- It’s too late to cook a meal from scratch, so you buy a takeout instead

- Client work takes priority, so you have no time for your own marketing

You get the picture!

It’s easy to blame a lack of time for pushing you off track. What’s more, it can feel like a very valid excuse! However, if a task isn’t on your schedule, there’s a strong chance it WON’T get done.

If you’re behind, turn to your planner.

Look at where you’re allocating your time. Assess where you waste minutes currently. Review how you could shake up your day to diarize your habits – and ensure they get done.

For example:

- Could you batch your food prep for a Sunday night?

- Could you turn your lunch break over to a power walk?

- Could you schedule an hour at the same time every day to work on your marketing?

When everything else has to fit around your top priorities, not only do you get more done, but you feel more accomplished as well.

3. What’s really in your way?

Have you noticed that when you really, REALLY want something you’re unstoppable?

But when you’re not entirely convinced, or you’re pushing up against limiting beliefs, the brakes go on and slow you down.

It’s time for some deeper reflection if you find yourself:

- Procrastinating over your goal-related tasks.

- Feeling drained when you think about your goals

- Questioning your ability to succeed – or even complete the necessary tasks

If there’s something unseen in your way, you’ll need to do the more in-depth work to remove it.

Maybe your beliefs about yourself need an upgrade. Perhaps you need to cultivate confidence by tapping into your courage. It could be that you simply need to double-down on some proven productivity tips to get yourself moving!

Pull out your journal and ask yourself the harder questions.

When you know the real reason for your delay, you can get out of your own way – and keep moving towards the finish line!

Achieve that goal, give yourself a boost!

Your goals aren’t about improving or even changing your life alone.

I think Zig Ziglar said it best:

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.“

In other words, the act of crushing a goal is a prize in itself because of the enormous personal boost a win will give you.

From the satisfaction and integrity that comes from doing what you said, to the confidence to aim even higher next time – because you pulled this one out of the bag!

So don’t let go of your dreams. Hold on tight and instead, get clear on what’s really in your way.

- Adjust your habits.

- Plan your time.

- Clear away limits.

And you really will become unstoppable.