Most people have goals and aspirations – things they want to accomplish throughout the day as well as long term. Some are easy to accomplish, and some are exaggerated and challenging. Some can easily be checked off a list; some need to be mapped out in your head or on a vision board and require time and effort to execute. While we all work toward something daily, we don’t always focus on getting our important goals completed. The endless list can feel daunting, but do we hit our targets? Or do some items stay unchecked, undone, and unattained for days, weeks, and years? Think about it, how long is your ‘to-do’ list and what are you actually accomplishing?
Why are some people just better at completing things than others? Is it the way we are built? Is it an innate part of some people’s DNA, and others simply don’t have it in them? Or is it as uncomplex as deciding daily if we are going to work on the next step? I believe following through is hard but attainable, and it is all about prioritization.
Over the years, I created a thought experiment. I wondered why people don’t follow through personally and professionally. It’s not uncommon that I get an email promising a follow-up, and never hear back. Or someone saying they will send a report, schedule a lunch, or respond to my request, and…nothing! There are bigger things, too. Often, people don’t make that doctor’s appointment or maintain their car. What about discussing your hopes and dreams but making no real strides to get there? I believe there are three main reasons that these things don’t get done. Identifying them is the first step in solving them!
- Distractions – Life is full of distractions! How many times have you checked social media in the last hour? What was that noise down the hall? Oh, is it lunchtime yet? These are the simple ones. What about life’s biggest distractions that often are used as excuses? Personal challenges, professional missteps, etc., can often make the goal line feel further and the path to get there harder. But if you put in your headphones, literally and metaphorically, you can keep going. That doesn’t mean pushing everything in your life aside in a selfish and unaccountable way, but it means prioritizing your time, your life, and which distractions you allow in.
- Not counting costs before commitment – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: sometimes, people can get so excited and worked up by the prospect of change that they take the first step and then realize the challenges and give up. That’s easy to do. So, if you want to follow through on your goals, make sure you count the costs, which means thinking about the road to accomplishing your goal from beginning to end. How? I recommend you think hard about what the end looks like and then reverse engineer it or walk it backward. What challenges can you anticipate, and which ones might get in your way that you don’t see? How much time/money/effort would it take to get from Point A to Point B? Understanding what you are getting yourself into is a big part of truly making the first step and doing it correctly. Once you’ve decided, you will be able to understand where your priorities are and fit them into your life accordingly.
- Accountability – Digging deeper into the last point, accountability is key. This means accountability as you take each step closer to your goal, as you often need to check yourself and ensure you are headed in the right direction. But it also means taking accountability when things go wrong, or you’ve changed your mind or direction. It’s okay to come clean to yourself and others and say, ‘My mistake, I thought I could, but I couldn’t.’ For example, if you promised a coffee date to someone but then realize it simply isn’t a realistic use of your time right now. It’s okay to say that isn’t going to work. Prioritization means you have to say ‘no’ sometimes. Not everything can/has or needs to be done, or at least not right now. And not every answer can be yes. Personal leadership is tantamount to accountability. This means you must lead yourself and be okay with the decisions you make and the direction you take and maintain absolute accountability for your time, money, and efforts.
In summation, a focus on setting the right goals, thinking things through to the end, practicing absolute accountability, and prioritization is what it takes to reach your goals and curate the life you love to live. You are worth it, and I recommend that you start today!
