5 Reasons Why You're Not Accomplishing Your Business Goals When that little voice is screaming "quit," remind yourself why you started.
By Kimanzi Constable Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Every day you log onto Facebook, you see at least one person complaining about how many people there are in the gym. The status update ends with, "In a few months, they'll be gone." New Year's resolutions get a bad rap because of the percentage of people who don't follow through. That percentage is even higher for entrepreneurs who sent business goals at the beginning of each year.
Whatever you want to call them, following through on the goals you set to help you grow your business is hard work. The reality is that too many entrepreneurs who are reading this will give up after a few months, and after dealing with setbacks. There are many reasons why we don't follow through with our business goals and I don't think it's a mystery.
There are some entrepreneurs reading this article that will face circumstances that are out of their control. There are some who will face situations that are heartbreaking and their only focus will be survival. There are, however, too many entrepreneurs who can and should chase whatever the next level is in their business and accomplish audacious goals. Here are five honest reasons why we don't stick with our business goals, and that we need to conquer to have one of the best years in our business.
1. It's easier to dream than sacrifice.
There was a popular movie with the tagline, "Stop dreaming, start living." We get caught up in the romantic idea of our goals. We get lost in the possibilities and we spend days and weeks just dreaming without doing anything to actually make those dreams our reality. It's hard work to grow any business. It's difficult to stay focused through all of the ups and downs and failures that come when things don't work out as planned.
Making changes requires sacrifice. Accomplishing major business goals requires sacrifice. You may have to give up time doing things you enjoy--like watching TV--to give that time to work on your goals. You may have to give up food that tastes so good to get healthier and have more energy. You may have to say goodbye to extra time that you would normally give to your friends and use that time to grow your business. Sacrifice doesn't have to be forever, just until you hit your goals.
Related: 7 Steps to Achieving Any Goal in Life
2. We listen to self-limiting beliefs.
There are things each of us tells our self that holds us back. We deal with feelings and thoughts from past experiences that keep us from even getting to the place of wanting to make changes and accomplish our goals.
We tell our self we're not smart enough, lucky enough, strong enough, good looking enough, or that we don't have what it takes to accept success in our life. I call B.S. You are a special and unique entrepreneur. You are the only one of you in this world. You may not be like another entrepreneur that you admire, but that doesn't mean that you can't do everything you want to do in your business. You deserve success. You deserve to live the life you want to live.
Related: 7 Ways Focused Hard Work Crushes Self-Limiting Beliefs
3. The fear of failure and public reaction.
We're afraid to fail, but more than that, we're afraid to look bad. We're terrified of others thinking of us as failures more than actually failing. Failure is a part of a business and sometimes we need to failure. Failure shouldn't be an ending event. It should be an opportunity to learn and grow. In the end, who cares what people think? Their opinion is not important in the grand scheme of things and won't put any more money in your pocket.
Related: 5 Ways to Keep Fear of Failure From Holding You Back
4. No research and no plan.
If you're going to have success with your major goals, you need to have a plan. "Winging it" only works in the movies and the Internet and technology gives us the ability to figure out what our steps should be. Not having a plan will increase your chances of failing and quitting. Not properly researching will have you confused and frustrated. Create a plan based off of research, and start taking action on that plan.
Related: To Investors, Startups Without Business Plans Are Expensive Hobbies
5. Forgetting why your started your business.
We get frustrated with how long it takes to see progress and then we get distracted. During the times when everything inside you screams, "quit," something even deeper instead you should remind you of why you started your business. Life is short and we only get one life to live. Before you know it, you'll come to the end of your life content or full of regret. It's a harder path, but once you reach your goals, it will be worth the struggle that you endured. Always keep your mind focused on the why behind your business. This isn't only about money or fame, there's something deeper that's driving you.
I hope you haven't given up on the goals that you've set for yourself and the growth of your business. It's not going to fall in place magically. It will take longer than you want to reach that tipping point, but you're doing this for a reason. Your goals are important and how you'll grow a business that leads to a life of freedom. Don't lose focus. If you do, use this article as a wake-up call and get back on track.
