Keep On Keepin' On

Keep On, Keepin’ On

If you've ever done review of your personal and professional accomplishments and felt like you're falling short, you're not alone. As many as 80 percent of people feel the same way. Not reaching a goal can imply failure, and this feeling can hamper any further efforts to get back on track.

However, before you beat yourself up with negative self-talk, carefully consider why your goal didn't work. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

·  How realistic was the goal?

·  Did something happen (i.e., health concern, caregiving for a loved one) that was out of your control and prevented meeting the deadline?

·  Why was this goal set?

·  What purpose did my goal serve?

Answering these questions with complete honesty can offer you valuable information and help you better understand why things didn't work out.

Next time you are setting a goal for yourself, three things to consider:

Little Victories - When you create small wins for yourself early in your day that aren’t necessarily related to your bigger goal, you create momentum, and momentum helps you move forward. These small wins can create confidence, which provides a feeling of security to tackle other things, like your big goal. Setting yourself up for early wins in the day also gives you a positive feeling. This optimism is often what is needed to carry you on through the work of your bigger goals.

Baby Steps - Often, big goals can seem out of reach, and this can give you a sense of frustration and overwhelm. However, if you break a big goal into smaller, bite-sized chunks it is often easier to manage and understand.

Keep a Record - When you track your progress towards a goal, you’re more likely to achieve it. What you’re essentially doing with monitoring is creating a way to look at yourself from a different perspective. You’re seeing what is working and what isn’t, and when you’re able to do so without judgment it can be helpful.

New goals can be hair-pulling and rather annoying, and they can also be healthy and rewarding.  Celebrate the small wins and keep on keepin’ on.