Step back and reflect

Every year seems to go by quicker than the last; I mean can you believe we are already talking about Christmas?!

So instead of continually letting time pass you by, stop and reflect on your year so far and how much closer you are to a life you love.

Like most of us, we start the year with the best intentions; join a gym, find the dream job or simply take better care of our well-being. After a few months though, when somebody asks how you’re getting on, you have that awkward moment where you have to admit you haven’t quite stuck with it!

It happens to the best of us, and there is no shame in not sticking with everything we set out to achieve, but have you ever thought about the reasons why you don’t stick with the goals that you were so excited about just last week?

There are hundreds of reasons why people don’t reach their goals, so let’s explore some of the most common themes…

1. You lack self-belief. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will? Without self-belief it is extremely difficult to really put yourself out there and go for what you want. Often clients say ‘I would love to start my own business’ or ‘I would love to run a marathon’, but they are yet to do it because they don’t truly believe they actually can! Self-belief doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time and energy but is oh so worth it!

2. The fear of failure or looking silly. How often have you said to yourself I am going to join that dance or yoga class, but when it came to actually going you decided to just stay at home, eat ice cream and watch the latest Netflix series (we have all been there). This is commonly down to worrying about what others think of you or that they will judge you. Ask yourself, if we lived in a world where there was no such thing as judgement, what would you be doing right now?

3. You do it for the wrong reason. Have you ever tried to do something just because somebody said you couldn’t, or on the flip side said they think you should? Times like these are when you are most likely to give up. If you don’t have a personal motivation you simply won’t do it. Find what motivates you and pursue those goals and let everybody else worry about themselves.

4. You let your past experiences impact the present. As I said, we don’t always achieve everything we set out to, but that doesn’t mean you won’t achieve what you want right now. If you let every bad experience affect you, you probably wouldn't ever leave the house! Instead of doubting yourself or worrying about what might happen, reflect on what the past experience taught you and take a small step towards your goal today!

If the above rings true with you, take some time and reflect on something you wanted to achieve in the past but didn’t quite get there. Really challenge yourself on what you think stopped you; was it one of the above, or something totally unique to you?