The Reasons Why You Will Not Hit Your Goals in 2020

I'm no Gary Vee but I am a project manager. I have been managing projects since age 22. I have missed goals before both personally and professionally. I reevaluate where and why I sometimes miss the mark because my livelihood relies on it. I take a lot of what I have learned professionally and apply it to my personal goals. This is what I know at age 34 about hitting goals.


1. You make unrealistic goals without a timeline. A big goal has to be broken into realistic chunks. You may list "Lose 50 pounds" as one of your goals without a timeline throughout the year.  You literally have all year to hit this goal. Naturally, this vagueness allows for you to put it off since there aren't target dates. You need to list subgoals under this goal such as losing 10 pounds by March 1st, lose the next 10 pounds by May 1st, and so forth. You also need to list the steps it will require such as "Go to HIIT sessions 3 times a week: Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays". You have to be able to measure goals and set the plan to ensure you hit them.

2. You do not periodically review your goals. You must write your goals on paper or digitally store them somewhere you can easily access. I know it's hard to write them out or share them because we naturally fear not being able to hit them. You do not have to share your goals but you have to see them visually to keep yourself focused. Your yearly goals must be reviewed periodically. Professional athletes, Fortune 500 companies, small business, etc. all review their plans periodically to track if they are on target to hitting the goals they set for the year. You cannot write your goals and and never revisit them with the expectation to hit them. I review my goals once a month but I recommend reviewing at least every quarter. You need to hold a meeting with yourself to ensure you are on target to meet them. Additionally, go easy on yourself. Move a deadline if you believe you will miss it. Every plan has to adjust to unforeseen occurrences. However; do not use adjusting goals as a reason to dismiss it altogether and quit.

3. You do not hold yourself accountable. There is no explanation to this one. You blame being too busy. You blame your kids, your parents, or not having enough resources to hit your goals. You are standing in your own way; plain and simple. You will not hit your goals if you cannot face your part in not hitting them. For instance, you have a savings goal and give yourself enough money to spend for the week but your friend's birthday dinner is the same week and you end up overspending. You know the date of their birthday. You end up blaming your friend for having a birthday dinner. That's why periodically reviewing your goals is so important because you would see their birthday as an upcoming expense rather than a surprise. Lastly, you can always tell them the truth. You can always treat them to something less expensive. They should understand if they're a friend. Everyone appreciates honesty.

4. Your mindset. Commit to these goals. You have to stay focus and not veer off track. For instance, if one want to start meal prepping for the year, you must keep distractions at a distant. Watch Youtube meal prepping videos instead of watching a funny/viral one. Follow instagram accounts that promote this healthy routine. Unfollow the ones that are counterproductive. Learn to get back in the saddle if you fall off a week. You do not need to give up after one mishap. Stay focused.

5. Your support team. You are the equivalent of the 5 people you are around the most. Hanging with someone that insists you cancel your Sunday meal prep session for a Sunday Funday Brunch is a distraction from your goals. Hanging with someone that convinces you to overspend because it's their birthday trip to Cancun and they've only given you a 3 week notice will hinder you from hitting those financial goals. Have the courage to say no to things that will prevent goal hitting. I'm not saying never go to brunch or on a trip. I'm saying only say yes to these things when you have planned for them. I set aside some sinking funds for an occasional brunch date and travel fund (one for my girls trip and a joint one with my husband).

The act of writing down your goals and breaking them into small attainable goals can be life changing. Pick a tool that works best for you such as a whiteboard, a planner or a digital excel sheet on your phone. Professionally, I keep a "Plan of Actions and Milestones" template for any project I have to manage from start to finish. I turn these in periodically to the stakeholders on the project for transparency. You can do a form of this as well. Crossing off a goal or writing "Completed" next to it can easily become a habit if you are committed. You should never "keep the list in my head". Ever. Apple or Disney would never keep their goals that casual. You should treat it as such because it should be a priority for you in 2020. Set the goals, set the timeline, routinely review the goals and stay focused.

Happy New Year,

T. Singleton