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Why do you struggle to accomplish your goals?

I'm writing an article that talks about why we struggle to accomplish our goals, and how to overcome them. But I have a hard time clustering things together.

This is what I have so far:

  • Goals-related: not defined, too vague, not written down, too many goals, not having a plan, not in sync with your values, not measurable.

  • Fears-related: fear of failure, of success, of being overwhelmed, of the potential problems and challenges.

  • Environment-related: negative people around us, distracting surroundings, lack of support and encouragement.

  • Motivation-related: lack of motivation, procrastination, lack of commitment, lack of discipline and self-control, giving up too early.

And the rest that's not in those categories:

  • Making up excuses,
  • Wrong mindset about failures,
  • Bad habits,
  • Not believing in yourself or your skills/knowledge,
  • Being overwhelmed,
  • Getting distracted,
  • Bad time management,
  • Not taking enough risks
  • ...

What else comes to mind?

How should I name these categories? And where to put uncategorized stuff?

It will mean the world to me if you could help me get clear on this! It will also help all the people that read it in the future 🤗

  1. 4

    Balancing time efficiently. It's a bit difficult when you have a 9-5, take care of the kiddo, and then spend time with your spouse. I've been waking up two hours earlier to put in work on my project before my 9-5.

    1. 1

      Yeah, that's such a hard thing to do. I have a baby, so I understand your struggles.

      Not sure if that's even a problem with time management. Sometimes you don't have any time left however you organize your day.

  2. 3

    I'd say I come up with too many ideas.

    I move onto the next tooooo quickly and it means that NONE of my projects see the light of day.

    I'm currently working on two at the same time. I know it's bad and I should focus on both, I just can't help myself.

    1. 1

      I think I can put that under the "lack of focus" or "getting distracted"

      Do you have a list of ideas?

      I had the same problem. Now I work on one thing and just add other ideas to the list. Once I see how the first one is developing, I can decide if I want to continue working on it or want to try something else.

      When you work on one project, you'll see if it has a potential much faster.

  3. 2

    Because we try to become billionaires overnight and do not realize the fact that good things takes time.

    1. 2

      Consistency is the key to success.

    2. 1

      Exactly! And until we realize it we kinda lose hope </3

  4. 2

    I've done a great deal of research and writing in the space of goal achievement , and the mindset needed to become successful at anything. There are many different factors that are in play about why people fail at achieving their goals. I hit on some of the major points in this article that I wrote for MMAP Magazine. There maybe some useful information that you guys can use along the way on your success journey.

    How To Set Effective Goals That Will Mold Your Future
    The Psychological Framework of Goal Setting Matters To Your Success.
    https://mmap.substack.com/p/how-to-set-effective-goals-that-will

    1. 1

      Thank you! I love SMART goals.

      Setting SMART goals is a big step to actually achieving them.

  5. 2

    Responsibilities! I have a mortgage, dependents etc. It's irresponsible of me to take too many risks. Clear out the bank account and quit my job to throw into bootstrapping a startup etc. Sure there's an element of me not wanting to endanger life's comforts I've become accustomed to. I'd always hoped that when the time came to quit and go all in, the decision to do that would be easy. But the older I get, the more responsibilities I have!

    1. 1

      Many people wait to quit their job until their side project earns the same amount of money as a day job.

      Everything is risky, and you shouldn't try to avoid any risks. But you should never take big risks that can destroy you. Small, calculated risks are the key.

  6. 2

    Getting distracted and overwhelmed for me. I try to do at least 2hrs a week on my side projects but life has been throwing me some haymakers this year. It always feels great to contribute to my projects though, so luckily consistency has been keeping me going.

    1. 2

      The more experience I get, the more I see that consistency is the most important thing for success.

      1. 1

        I've always thought the same but Twitter gurus such as Daniel Vassallo say that "intensity" is better than consistency for projects where success is random. I'm not sure if agree because I think it's a personality thing, some people are wired this way whereas others need the rhythm and routine of doing something consistently. In principal however it sounds good, focus on something intensely for a short period of time and launch, get feedback and repeat.

        1. 1

          I'd say intensity is important, but not as important as consistency. Especially for projects where success is random.

          You can intensively work on a project 12 hours per day, overload yourself, and give up in a week.

          But when you work consistently, you'll set a schedule where it's not that exhausting. You can work 2-3 hours per day, every day for years. You will achieve much more over time.

        2. 1

          Unfortunately, business is so hard I think you need both.

          1. 1

            You're probably right, just easier said than done especially if it's not how you're wired.

  7. 2

    I think the opaqueness in regards of what needs to be done in order to achieve them is a BIG factor in why we struggle to achieve goals. For instance, do you know PRECISELY what you need to do to get a six pack? Even if you do, you might struggle to do so. But business is even more opaque. Not only is it hard like going for a six pack, you're never even really sure what exactly actions to take.

    Goals would be much easier if we could get a precise, step-by-step list of tasks on what to do in order to accomplish them. You might be able to do so for fitness goals, but for business or career goals. You mind has to generate these tasks, and you need to have faith that it's correct. That's hard.

    1. 1

      Yeah, it's hard to know exactly what you have to do. I think it becomes easier with experience and when you can hire people to do different tasks

  8. 2

    Exactly, I believe consistency is the key to success. Even I can consistency with better productivity.

    1. 1

      I agree. Every day move just one step closer to your goals.

  9. 2

    I agree will all your points.

    1. 1

      Thanks! Did you notice any other reason?

  10. 1

    In my opinion, not being able to take criticism well can greatly hinder your growth and make it difficult to accomplish your goals. Not everyone is going to like your plan or product and in your way to perfection you’re going to receive a lot of feedback so, it becomes extremely important to prioritize which of them you need to work on.

    As far as these uncategorized bullet points are considered, you can add them to your pre-existing list like-

    1. Goals related: Bad time management.
    2. Fear related: Wrong mindset about failures, not believing in yourself or your skills/
      knowledge, being overwhelmed, not taking enough risks.
    3. Environment related: Bad habits, getting distracted.
    4. Motivation related: Making up excuses.
    1. 1

      Thank you!

      I forgot about the criticism. With perfectionism or a lack of confidence in yourself, criticism can easily make you quit.

  11. 1

    For me, it's really about being happy and balance your life between work and fun. Makes sure to have fun as a reward to yourself for your hard work and give some rest to your mind. Because, as an entrepreneur, you have a lot of responsibilities and your mind is not in work mode from 9 to 5, it's always in work mode. So make you sure to disconnect and free your mind from this. It's important to meet people, be around people, have a good social circle and not be lonely as a solo entrepreneur. Mental health is really important, because when you're happy, you're more motivated, you're more productive, and more likely to accomplish your goals.

    1. 1

      It's so hard to stop thinking about the work. You always have a long list of things you have to do, and sometimes it feels like you're wasting time doing anything else.

      That's why we are the worst boss to ourselves.

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