The year is half over.
That’s right, the second quarter ends tomorrow.
How are you doing on all those goals you set back in January?
If that question triggers a satisfied smile as you reflect on your progress, congratulations! Keep up the great work! Break open your celebratory drink of choice and enjoy the weekend.
If it makes you squirm a little, read on.
If you set some goals back in January, but then watched them fade away as the day-to-day grind took over, don’t worry. If you meant to set goals for this year, but never quite got to it, don’t you worry either.
Every day is a new opportunity to make a change.
Goals matter. They provide focus. They give us a purpose. They’re the reality check on whether we’re walking the talk.
You’re doing yourself a disservice if you aren’t pursuing something that matters to you.
What’s stopping you?
If don’t know where to start, or want some structure to decide what your goals are, check out this series on planning.
If you set goals back in January, but haven’t made enough progress on them, it’s time to ask why.
Here are some common traps that people fall into:
“I don’t have time”
You have exactly the same amount of time as everyone else. It’s not an issue of time. It’s an issue of focus. Here are two big ways that shows up:
You’re spending too much time doing things you shouldn’t be doing. If this is the case, you need to learn how to prioritize and delegate.
You’re procrastinating. You’re avoiding the important work by filling your time with distractions. Take an honest look at what is holding you back from doing the things you need to do.
“I don’t know how”
A big stumbling block for progress is that you don’t know how to do what you need to do. Luckily, it’s the easiest one to overcome. In fact, you have a few options for doing so.
Learn
Virtually anything you’ve ever wanted to know about any subject is only a Google search away. The amount of learning resources instantly available for free is mind-boggling. At the very least, the search results will point you to paid books or courses on whatever topic you need to learn.
Find someone who does
This is one of the most difficult lessons for someone building a business to learn. You can’t (and shouldn’t) be doing everything yourself. A leader marshals the resources to get things done. Trying to do everything yourself will only hold you back.
“I tried. It didn’t work.”
Most of the things you try in your business aren’t going to work. When that happens, you try something else.
You try. You learn. You adjust. You try again.
If this mindset is a challenge for you, take a look at whether the goal is something you really want. Maybe the problem is that you’ve created goals you don’t actually care about.
If the goals are things you want, but you find yourself giving up easily, it’s time to reflect. Take an honest look at your beliefs. There is something in there telling you that you can’t do it. You need to find it and deal with it.
Make a Change
Sure, the year is half over. But that also means there’s half of the year left. That’s plenty of time to make a real difference in your business – and your life.
Go ahead. Dust off those goals you wrote down 6 months ago and recommit to making them happen.
Or, write some new ones and get started.
I help business owners figure out their goals every day. And I help them stick to making them happen. If you need help with either, get in touch.