If asked, most of us would be able to explain the basics of achieving a goal.  But, would you be able to easily articulate how to NOT make progress on a goal?

How to NOT make progress on a goal:  Introduction

It’s kind of a weird question, but it also uncovers awesome insights.  People often think about how TO do something, rather than how NOT to do it.

It’s important because self-sabotaging or counterproductive behavior can be difficult to identify, but they have a very real impact on your ability to achieve your goals.  Identifying the “nots” can help you discover where you might be throwing yourself off-track on your goals, and give you an opportunity to fix it.

Focusing on the short-term

In considering how to not make progress on a goal, focusing on the short-term is at the top of the list.

When you focus on the short-term, even smallish goals can seem incredibly difficult.  Rather than shifting your focus to the results you want to create and how you will benefit, you focus on the frustration and strife of the here-and-now.  If you continue to focus there, you’ll be less likely to make progress on your goal.

Here are some ways that focusing on the short-term might show up:

• Thinking about how much work needs to be done and feeling stressed
• Giving in to not “feeling like” working on your goal when you’re scheduled to
• Allowing current feelings of boredom, frustration, or overwhelm to impact your progress on your goal
• Feeling unmotivated to work on your goal, and choosing not to take action as a result
• Struggling to make decisions about the next steps toward your goal

Falling into the “I don’t know” trap

Few things can bring progress to a screeching halt better than “I don’t know.”  When we’re talking about how to not make progress, this factor has to be a part of the conversation.

Many goals involve achieving something that you haven’t done before.  Because you haven’t done the thing yet, it’s natural for your brain to tell you “I don’t know” how to do it.  Makes sense, right?

Here’s the thing about your brain, though.  Part of it wants to:

• Keep you safe,
• Maintain the status quo, and
• Expend as little energy as possible.

Figuring out something for the first time or solving a problem typically involves:

• Risk,
• Change, and
• Effort.

…Pretty much the opposite of what that part of your brain wants.

This is where “I don’t know” comes in.  Your brain might toss up “I don’t know” in response to a goal or challenge you’re facing.  That’s totally normal, but it’ll also keep you from making progress on a goal.

“I don’t know” is your brain’s version of, “The dog ate my homework.”  It’s your brain’s attempt to get out of the cognitive and emotional work of solving a problem, learning a skill, or uncovering answers.

I’m not saying that you should magically know what to do whenever your brain offers the thought, “I don’t know.”  Instead, I’m saying that when you accept “I don’t know” from yourself as a final answer, you’ll stop making progress toward your goals.

Refusing to be “new” at a skill, task, or endeavor

Here’s another essential on the list of how to not make progress toward goals:  Refusing to be “new” at something.

Some people, especially those with perfectionistic tendencies, struggle with the idea of being “new” or being a “beginner.”  They often make their lack of skill mean something negative about them.  They might also worry about what others think about their lack of skill.

If you want to learn to do something well in pursuit of a goal, you must first be willing to do it badly.

I struggled with a perfectionistic mindset for most of my life.  I would refuse to try new things that seemed difficult, because I knew I wouldn’t get it right the first time.  It sounds absurd when I say/type it, but I made the logical outcome of failing at something new, mean something illogically negative about myself.

Refusing to allow yourself to be “new” at something that you are, in fact, new at, is denying reality.  If you don’t allow yourself to be a beginner and you don’t think you can get it right the first time, you won’t make progress toward your goals.

Self-doubting your way out of action

Next on the list of how to not make progress toward goals:  Giving in to self-doubt to the point that you don’t take action.

Self-doubt can be a strong emotion.  The thoughts behind it can feel very true.  However, allowing self-doubt to stop your progress toward goals prevents you from growing your self-confidence.

If you doubt that you have what it takes to achieve a goal, for example, what’s likely to happen?  You’ll probably stop pursuing the goal.  That means you won’t develop the skills to achieve the goal.  In that way, self-doubt becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Comparing your progress to others

Here’s the fifth factor for how to not make progress toward a goal.  It’s something that our brains are naturally designed to do, which is to compare ourselves to others.

Comparison is a normal cognitive process, and it can even be helpful in some instances.  But a repeated or prolonged focus on outward comparison often leads to:

• A frantic, overwhelming pressure to stay ahead (if you’re doing better than others), or
• Feelings of inadequacy and discouragement (if you’re doing worse than others).

Like I said earlier, the human brain automatically compares self to others.  If you don’t manage the scope, frequency, and implications of that natural tendency, you’ll stop making progress toward your goals.

How to NOT make progress on a goal:  Conclusion

There’s tons of advice out there around how to achieve goals.  If understanding how to achieve goals worked, we’d all be as successful as we want.  However, there is tons of value in understanding how to not make progress on goals.  It allows you to self-identify cognitive-behavioral patterns that aren’t helping you, and gives you an opportunity to address them.

Today, I covered five tips for how to not make progress on a goal.  Here’s a quick recap:

• Focusing on the short-term
• Falling into the “I don’t know” trap
• Refusing to be “new”
• Self-doubting your way out of action
• Excessively comparing your progress to others’

A goal and a plan to achieve it are only as good as your ability to execute them.  Execution comes down to mindset, and all of the issues above are mindset-based issues.  If any of those issues are holding you back from achieving goals in your business, I have some good news for you.  It’s totally possible to overcome them, and you don’t have to do it alone.  Schedule a quick call with me to talk about what’s going on.  You’ll get some concrete, actionable tips to help you start making changes immediately!