Goal Achievement: 3 Things You Should Do (and 3 Things You Should Never Do) When You Hit a Snag | Ep. #29

Sometimes your goal achievement doesn’t go as smoothly as you thought it would.  Unforeseen challenges and unplanned issues get in the way that halts your progress. So, what do you do when in those cases? Do you run for the hills? Or dig in and prepare for the fight?

We’ve got you covered. Today we’re sharing what you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to navigating challenges that arise in your goal achievement.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:52] Why You’re Not Achieving Your Goals
[02:57] Obstacles in Goal Achievement is Normal
[05:03] 3 Things You Should Never Do When Your Goal Achievement Hits a Snag
[08:17] What to do When Your Goal Achievement Hits a Snag
[13:20] Goal Achievement and Your Sense of Success
[14:28] Bloopers

Why You’re Not Achieving Your Goals

[Theresa] Did you know that only 8% of people actually achieve their goals?

[Meghan] Yikes! That is astonishingly low!

[Theresa] Yep!  According to a study done by the University of Scranton, only 8% of people who set New Year’s goals actually achieve them.  That means that 92% of people never complete their goals.

And if that is happening with New Year’s goals, imagine what those numbers are for business owners!

[Meghan] I’d expect the number to be on the lower side. But 8% is far lower than I anticipated. It’s still no surprise that people struggle with achieving their goals.

Many times on this podcast we’ve discussed the challenges that business owners face. When you come face-to-face with one of those challenges, it can stop you in your tracks.

That’s when those limiting beliefs pop up or you start comparing yourself to others. You start to doubt your ability. It’s no wonder that you just give up on your goals.

[Theresa] Giving up is a surefire way to not achieve your goals. And that’s really why you don’t make it over the finish line, right? You quit.

This is why I want to discuss the topic of goals and obstacles. There are plenty of times when I’ve quit. I set a goal. I’m very excited about it. Then something gets in the way and I give up.

That’s not to say that there isn’t an appropriate time to give up on something, but too often I gave up too soon. How about you, Meghan?

[Meghan] I hate to admit it, but I’ve given up too soon on many goals over the course of my entrepreneurial journey.

Quitting is often easier than persevering. And sometimes when you’re overwhelmed, you choose the easier way out. It’s painful to admit it. But it’s true. And I know that many small business owners struggle with this as well. So, this is a super relevant topic that we’re discussing today.

Obstacles in Goal Achievement is Normal

[Theresa] Everyone hits obstacles from time to time. Some you can anticipate and plan for and others you can’t. Guess what? It’s normal.

Every business owner will hit obstacles from time to time. It’s completely normal.

[Meghan] Yes. It’s completely normal. Many of the hurdles you face are exactly those messy moments we like to talk about. Look, business is seldom neat and tidy.

But you didn’t choose this path because you thought things would go perfectly. And, life would be boring if things went 100% smoothly 100% of the time. Where’s the fun in that? You have to embrace the challenges and learn from them. Right, Theresa?

[Theresa] That’s right. Not only are there lessons to be learned from the challenges you encounter, but there are ways to navigate them. And navigating challenges doesn’t start with recreating all of your goals.

[Meghan] “Navigating challenges doesn’t start with recreating all of your goals” – that statement needs more explanation. You’re going to need to unpack that one a bit!

Navigating challenges doesn’t start with recreating all of your goals.

[Theresa] Typically what happens when you hit a snag with your goal achievement is you look at the goal as the problem. And while that might be the case in some instances, it isn’t always.

The tendency is to throw out the goal and create a new one. But you’ll end up back in the same predicament unless you learn some skills to cope with the challenges that arise.

Is that enough explanation?

[Meghan] Yes, much better.

There are tons of articles, podcasts, and videos about how to achieve your goals. It’s a popular topic. As a matter of fact, we did a podcast about the benefits of writing your goals down when it comes to goal achievement.

[Theresa] Yes. There is also lots of information on the Googlesphere that can help with the mechanics of goal setting to ensure that you’re creating clear goals, to begin with. But that’s not what we’re going to focus on today.

[Meghan] No. Today the focus is on what you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to goal achievement and the inevitable challenges that arise.

Let’s begin with what you shouldn’t do.

3 Things You Should Never Do When Your Goal Achievement Hits a Snag

[Theresa] It’s happened to all of us. We establish a clear goal, create a plan, and feel motivated to accomplish it. But then an unexpected challenge occurs and chaos ensues. Then we either run for the hills or we dig in and prepare for the fight.

[Meghan] Oh yeah. It’s that classic fight or flight response.

[Theresa] Exactly. But whichever you are, there are three things you should never do when your goal achievement hits a snag.

First, don’t beat yourself up. No one is harder on you than, well, you. There’s no getting around it. Sometimes you’re going to have trouble. You’ll run into obstacles. Berating yourself won’t fix the problem. It’ll only make it worse.

Sometimes you’re going to run into obstacles. Berating yourself won’t fix the problem. It’ll only make it worse.

[Meghan] That’s right. When you’re going through a struggle, it’s the best time to be kind to yourself. Remember that challenges are normal in business, especially when you’re trying to achieve lofty goals.

It’s best to take a breath and accept that you’re human. These things happen. So do your best with what you have.

[Theresa] Second, don’t play the blame game! I get it. When things don’t go according to plan it’s frustrating. And sometimes it’s downright maddening.

You’ve spent a lot of time thinking about your bigger vision. More time creating thoughtful goals that will help you get closer to that vision. And you’ve made a careful plan, designed to help you achieve those goals.

Then some obstacle surfaces that hinders or simply halts your progress and it ticks you off. You ask yourself, “why can’t it just be easy?” You may even think you wasted time creating your goals and action plan, to begin with.

It’s the anger and frustration that makes you want to look for someplace to lay the blame. But here’s the thing. YOU are responsible for your own success. And you are responsible for your own failures, too.

[Meghan] Right now you might be thinking, “did she just say that the obstacles I encounter are my fault?”

No, we’re not saying that. We’re saying that you shouldn’t waste any time looking to lay blame. Who’s at fault doesn’t matter.

Sometimes it’s your own fault, and sometimes things aren’t in your control. You want to look at what went wrong so that you understand why it did. Then you learn from it, fix it, and move on.

Look for solutions, not excuses. Right?

[Theresa] Right you are.

And third, don’t be stubborn. Sometimes, a goal you set just isn’t meant to work out. That’s ok, too.

[Meghan] It’s totally ok. If you’ve given it your all and exhausted all of your options, it’s time to let it go. Trying to force something to work only wastes time. It also causes more stress and frustration.

[Theresa] When you fail to achieve a goal, don’t make it mean something about who you are. It’s not a reflection on you at all. It’s to your credit that you recognize that something isn’t working.

[Meghan] And that ties us back into the first point. Don’t beat yourself up about it. It’s a lesson learned. Failure is a part of your journey. Keep moving forward.

Ok. Now, what should you do when your goal achievement hits a snag?

What to do When Your Goal Achievement Hits a Snag

[Theresa] When your goal achievement stalls due to a challenge, there are plenty of strategies that you can implement to help you move along. Today we’re sharing three of them.

First, take a breather and walk away. There’s a lot to be said for walking away and taking a break. When something is going wrong with your goal achievement you can feel emotional about it. It’s hard to see how to fix the issue when you’re in an emotional state.

[Meghan] That’s true. I know when I’m feeling emotional, logic goes right out the window. My mom used to have a sign on the refrigerator that said “Act, don’t react.” And that advice applies here.

When you walk away and come back to it with fresh eyes and a calmer demeanor, the solution is more obvious.

[Theresa] Yeah. There have been times when I’ve felt like the end of the world was upon me. Those negative thoughts pop into my head telling me that I’m not smart enough or that the Universe is conspiring against me. Walking away has prevented me from simply quitting.

Giving up would have been an emotional response to the problem. Getting some space between me and my goal allowed me to come back to it rationally. The same will be true for you.

[Meghan] What you just said is so important. Any decisions you make about your goals should never come from an emotional place. Sometimes you may choose to change a goal or not complete it at all. As long as you’re making that decision with good information and data, it’s ok.

The point is that you shouldn’t make knee jerk decisions when you’re angry or upset. It’s never smart to cut off your nose to spite your face. You’ll regret that later.

[Theresa] Definitely! Another smart thing to do when you hit an obstacle with your goal achievement is to make a task smaller. The action plan for each of your yearly goals is likely filled with lots of smaller tasks and strategies.

So, when you have a challenge related to one of those smaller tasks, the problem isn’t with the goal as a whole. Throwing everything out isn’t the solution.

[Meghan] Look at what you’re trying to accomplish and assess if you’re trying to do too much at once. I do this all of the time! I bite off more than I can chew. Ask yourself if there is a way to take that deliverable and break it into even smaller pieces.

If a task seems too daunting, see if you can take that deliverable and break it into smaller pieces.

You’ll make faster progress on your goals working on a series of smaller tasks rather than struggling with something larger. Sure, it might take you a little longer, but it beats staying stuck and not making any progress at all.

[Theresa] That’s so true. The last strategy is to be honest with yourself.

If you’ve already taken a break and you’ve tried breaking a task into smaller pieces and you’re still struggling with your goal achievement, it’s time to be honest with yourself. There may be a deeper reason that you’re struggling.

So, it’s time to look at the situation honestly and ask yourself some questions.

[Meghan] The problem isn’t necessarily your goal. You may just need some help with the tasks at hand. A good example is tech or copywriting. If you’re struggling with a specific task, ask yourself if you need assistance. Then brainstorm some ways that you can get the help you need.

Never let a lack of skill keep you from moving forward. There are so many ways to outsource these days. Find help and clear the hurdle.

[Theresa] You’re not supposed to know how to do everything. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help.

Sometimes the problem is deeper than wrestling with some words or tech. Usually, it manifests in the form of procrastination. Sure, you could be procrastinating because it’s something you don’t know how to do or aren’t good at. Or you could be stalling because it’s something you simply don’t like doing. That would also be a good time to outsource.

However, if it’s none of those things, your procrastination may signal that it’s time to reassess your goal. Ask yourself if you still want to accomplish the goal.

If the answer is no. Think about what you truly want. Then create a new goal and keep moving forward. There’s no need to beat yourself up over wasted time. Just keep going. It’s better to adjust and move in the right direction than to keep moving in the wrong direction.

However, if the answer is yes, then be honest about the path you’ve created. Do you have to follow the plan? How can you change it? Is there something you can replace the task you’re struggling with that will give you a similar result?

[Meghan] One tip here – it’s important to be honest when reassessing your goals. If you aren’t honest, you won’t make progress. And the more time that passes without forward movement, the harder it will be to have any kind of goal achievement.

Goal Achievement and Your Sense of Success

[Theresa] I hope that you’ve gotten a new perspective on how you should and shouldn’t deal with obstacles that interfere with your goal achievement. There’s a lot to think about. If you’re exhibiting any of the behaviors on the “shouldn’t list,” start by changing one of those behaviors.

And if you’re dealing with an obstacle right now, implement one of the strategies for coping with obstacles.

Anything else, Meghan?

[Meghan] You’ve been taught that your success depends on the goals you achieve. But that doesn’t need to be a part of your narrative. Instead, measure your success by what you’ve learned and how much you’ve grown.

Whether you achieve a goal or choose to relinquish one doesn’t say anything about how successful you are.

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