The Truth Is - We all Get Stuck Sometimes

Posted on April 09, 2016 by m s, One of Thousands of Relationship Coaches on Noomii.

Have you been feeling stuck and unable to achieve your goals? The truth is that this happens in varying degrees to all of us from time to time. Even some of the world’s most successful people have experienced huge setbacks on their way to greatness – Thomas Edison, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates are just a few great examples of this.

So what can we do when we get stuck, which we know we inevitably will? Here are some tips for getting yourself back on track to reaching your goals:

Remind yourself why you set the goal in the first place. Let’s say you set a goal of losing weight to get into that great swimsuit you saw at the store, but you start struggling to stay on track with your diet. Consider making a list of all the great reasons you have for wanting to lose weight (maybe improving your physical health/BMI, enticing your partner, or just generally feeling great about the way that you look). Read through the list today and hang on to it. You can add and revise as necessary anytime you are feeling like your motivation is waning.

Break down your larger goal into smaller steps. Anyone can get overwhelmed when looking at a huge goal. Say you are working toward completing a dissertation or a huge project at work. Instead of focusing on all of the many steps that you will need to complete, break down your goal into smaller daily and weekly tasks. For example – your daily task may be spending 1 hour each day gathering background information, and your weekly goal might be to discuss everything that you researched so far with your supervisor. Eventually you will get to your long-term goal. And don’t forget to celebrate every smaller milestone along the way!

Visualize yourself and how you will feel when your goal has been achieved! Imagining yourself having reached your goal and all the positive feelings that come with your achievement is a powerful way to enhance your motivation. You can do this in a number of ways – creating a mental image of yourself graduating at the top of your class, clipping a picture from a magazine of that bathing suit you will be wearing, or printing out a picture of that dream vacation spot that you have been saving for. Visualize your success often on your way to your final goal.

Take a short break before coming back. Sometimes we can get a bit tired or frustrated when we feel that our progress toward a goal is being blocked. When this is the case, it makes sense to take some time away to recharge our batteries. Choosing a relaxing activity, such as meditating, listening to soothing music or reading can provide a lot of benefit for the fatigued. Make sure that your break is time limited, as you do not intend to walk away from achieving your goal completely. After you are feeling more calm, be sure to come back to working toward your goal again.

Keep yourself on track, but try not to beat yourself up! I am a big believer that while it is quite important to hold ourselves accountable, we also need to avoid going to a place of extreme negativity when our progress has been blocked. The truth is that no one is perfect and that reaching your long-term goals can have some road blocks along the way. So if you had been planning to diet and you end up eating that piece of cake you had rather avoided – don’t give up! Gently remind yourself of your goal and get right back to it!

These are just a few ideas for helping you to achieve your long-term goals. If you would like to learn more about getting yourself on the path to long-term success, consider signing up for some of my individual coaching sessions. We can do this together!