Goals tend to fall in one of eight areas of our lives — Career, Financial, Health, Family, Self-Improvement, Spiritual, Adventure, and Business.
Most goals don't get accomplished. Here's why.
1. Lack of Passion
If there is no passion behind your goal, it will come to a screeching halt. It's difficult to define passion, but here goes! Passion is feeling so strongly about something that you're willing to move time in your schedule to do it. For example, I'm passionate about boxing. I'm willing to move time on my calendar just to get my training in. I invest time, energy, and money to improve. And maybe most importantly, I can't hide my excitement when I talk about it. (I'm talking about it now. Are you feeling me?) How passionate are you about your goal?
2. No Clear Outcome
The goal lacks specifics. For example, I'm going to be a more successful financial advisor is an admiral desire but difficult to measure. It's hard to determine a start and end point. How do you know you've hit your goal? I'm going to generate at least five referrals a week is much more impactful and measurable. Of course, what are you going to do to generate those referrals?
3. Conflict with Self Image
I remember coaching an advisor that simply couldn't see herself sitting at a kitchen table selling life insurance. She thought it was a tough way to make a living. I told her outright that she wouldn't succeed in the business. Why she was hired — well, that's another story. I was surprised she lasted two months. If you have a negative self-image related to your goal (I hate the gym), you will hate your goal.
4. No Action Steps
A goal is only as good as the action steps taken. I don't know much but I do know that if you don't focus on taking action steps every day or at least every week, you'll never reach your desired outcome. Ask an author how they went about writing their book. They don't just sit down one day and keep writing. Authors tend to write a little bit every day — usually at the same time every day. They get into a routine that becomes part of their day. Every big-time goal requires chipping away every day. A boxer training for a fight. A runner preparing for a marathon. An advisor, broker, or producer looking to hit their numbers. What do you need to do every day?
5. Bad Timing
Life does get in the way from time to time. Juggling a busy work schedule, aging parents, activities with kids, family obligations, and whatever else is a challenge for everyone. In taking on new frontiers and daring to think BIG, the timing must work. When will the timing be better? Will the timing ever be better? If not, that may be another issue. We all can't drop what we're doing to write a book or train for a marathon but the key here is deciding when the right time is and putting it in the calendar. It's just that simple.
6. Time Measured
Goals work best if there is accountability around when — as in when will you accomplish this? Most goals tend to be for the year. I find it's much more effective if you create a goal around a shorter period of time to create more immediacy and urgency around the outcome. Most of my work with advisors is around a series of 90-day goals. Having a goal for the next three months almost forces next action steps almost daily otherwise you may never hit those targets.
Remember, what gets in the calendar gets done.
- Signing up for a marathon.
- Committing to hit a sales number in a 90-day period.
- Booking a venue for the bar mitzvah you decided to finally study for and celebrate.
- Overcoming your fear of public speaking.
- Learning to play the piano.
- Quitting your role with a company and starting your own business.
What will you accomplish in the next 90 days?
(Credit: Allison Bell/ALM) 
