5 Reasons Why You May Not Hit Your 2021 Goals (and How to Give Yourself Grace While Turning it Around)

As we’re coming closer to the end of 2021, you may have started reflecting on what went well this year and where you’re at with the goals you had set in January. Many of my clients have a tendency to be really hard on themselves when they don’t reach their personal goals at the end of the year. The interesting thing is that they usually reach all the work goals, but their personal desires get overlooked.

Here are 5 reasons why this may have happened this year:

1 - You worked too much

Letting work get in the way is probably the most common reason why many high achieving perfectionist women don’t hit their goals. Your work may be really important to you - and that’s great! - but at what expense?

(I’ve always been a hard worker myself, and I go above and beyond for my work (and always have), because I have a high standard of excellence, so you may resonate.)

However, there will always be more work to do at the end of every day. You will never be „done“. You can always do more and do better. And sometimes, we need to do the best we can and then, remember that we also have a life outside of work, goals and dreams outside of work that matter equally (if not more).

Journaling question: What are my goals and dreams that I have outside of work that got forgotten this year?

2 - You prioritized others over yourself

Many people pleasers abandon their own goals, because they want to make sure everyone is happy and that there’s harmony in all of your relationships. I know you care about others, and you have a really big heart, but how harmonious is the relationship you have with yourself? Did it maybe get abandoned this year? Did the people pleasing take over and supporting other people’s goals (incl. your company’s goals) became more important than your own?

I want to kindly remind you that your life matters. Your dreams matter. Your health and wellbeing matter. You are important, and the desires that were planted in your heart are there, because you’re meant to have them. So it’s time you put yourself first again (and it’s definitely not too late for that!).

Journaling question: Who and what have I prioritized over myself this year?

3 - You didn’t believe it could happen

Sometimes, we have dreams and desires that are so big that we feel they’re unachievable, too big for us, and way outside of our comfort zone (hint: if it’s inside your comfort zone, it’s not a dream).

The truth, however, is that a dream would not be planted in your heart if it wasn’t meant for you. No desire is too big for you to turn into reality when you have faith that it’s meant for you.

Journaling question: How can I believe that my desires are becoming reality?

4 - You felt overwhelmed and didn’t take action

When something seems too big and overwhelming, what usually happens is that we procrastinate. So maybe your dream of starting a business or moving to a different city felt so big that you decided to not even start. This may have been a conscious decision (deciding to let the dream go for now) or an unconscious decision (procrastination or endless excuses coming up).

Either way, here’s something that I know to be true: If you have a dream and don’t take action, it won’t just fall into your lap. You have to make a move, even if it’s just a baby step.

Journaling question: Why did I not take action on my 2021 goals?

5 - You forgot what your goals were

Life happens, and let’s just be honest, there has been a lot that we were bombarded with in 2021, and it can be challenging at times to separate ourselves from what’s happening in the world. And then we forget about other things that were initially important to us.

The truth, however, is that if you’re serious about your goals and dreams, you have to be able to get rid of distractions, and set clear boundaries around your time, energy, and focus, or you will get sucked into the busy-ness of life! What you focus on expands. If you set goals and forget about them two weeks later, they won’t manifest into reality, so keep your eyes on your goals, and you still got time!

Journaling question: What happened that I forgot about my goals?

But hey: It’s not too late!

This year still has a couple of weeks left, and who said you needed to accomplish everything by December 31? What matters is that you pursue your desires on whatever day of the year. And today can be one of those days for you.

Beating yourself up for what happened in the past ten months is not going to bring you closer to your goals - it’s only going to distract you even more. So, reset, start again, do better, and be kind to yourself as you honor your desires for your (glow) life!

Setting inspiring, doable, realistic, and exciting goals for 2022

Let things be different in 2022! To learn more about working together, click below:

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