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4 Reasons Your Feelings Didn’t Allow You to Achieve Your Goals

Nervous woman in green sweater.

When goal setting, we’re well-intentioned. But it’s the follow through which catches us. In a previous post, I wrote about how your thoughts might keep you from achieving your goals. Today, I’ll focus on how your feelings might be what is stopping you.

1. You lost your motivation

Ever notice how you’re all enthusiastic about something and later, it just doesn’t light your fire? That means you’ve lost your “why.” That’s another reason your feelings didn’t allow you to achieve your goals.

In his classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl explains that what keeps us going is meaning. If you didn’t achieve your goals, ask yourself if you’ve lost your passion.

Quick fix: Briefly describe your motivation when you write your goal. Go back and look at that motivator when it slips out of your consciousness.

2. You have an unconscious fear of failing

All of us have a fear that if we do it, we might fail and look foolish in the eyes of the world. That’s a distinct possibility. George Clooney insists, “The only failure is not to try.”

Quick fix: Read the biography of famous “failures.” Walt Disney, Michael Jordan and Thomas Edison each failed multiple times. And, I was so inspired by Conrad Hilton’s “failures” that I read his biography twice!

3. You were waiting until you felt like it

Sorry, but it just doesn’t work that way. Feelings (“I’ll feel like it later”) do not precede actions. It’s the other way around. That’s a huge part of why your feelings didn’t allow you to achieve your goals.

In his book, author and psychologist Timothy Pychyl cites research to show that attitudes follow behaviors. He says, “When you start to act on your intention as intended, you will see your attitude and motivation change.” Starting is critical.

Quick fix: If you didn’t achieve your goals, do something. Anything. Even picking up a pencil helps to get you started!

4. You felt stuck and couldn’t mobilize your resources

Stuck happens. You don’t have the knowledge, the money, the access, the stamina, etc. you’ll soon feel stuck.

Quick fix: Ask for help! You don’t always have to go it alone. Mobilizing your resources sometimes means using a human resource! There’s nothing wrong with that. I have no hesitation to ask or help from a colleague.

Thoughts and feelings can get in the way of success. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on how actions can be a reason you didn’t achieve your goals.

Are your feelings one of the reasons you didn’t achieve your goals? How are trying to change your outlook? Share your experiences in the comments below!  

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