You haven’t set any goals

A failure to plan and set goals is a plan to fail. Goal setting is the accountability for achieving your ideal future. Additionally, it is when you define and take active steps to achieve your dreams. In turn, setting goals helps keep your focus and spark motivation.

Solution: First, you don’t have to wait until January 1 to make changes in your life. Really think about who you are and what your burning desires are in life. Then use the SMART method to help you track and achieve the results.

• Specific – what exactly do you want to accomplish?
• Measurable – how will you know when you meet your goal?
• Achievable – what steps will you take to be successful?
• Realistic – Is it obtainable?
• Time – how long are you giving yourself to achieve the goal?

You haven’t revisited your goals

Goals contain small, measurable steps that make the big picture more achievable. Writing down your goals into obtainable checklists will allow you to check in with yourself and reassess where you are. For example, you may aim to reduce your blood pressure. Then your checklist will include things like losing weight, exercising, and having regular checkups with your doctor. All of which will put you on a path to better health.

Solution: Create a plan and write down every step. Then schedule time regularly with yourself to make sure you are on track so that you can celebrate your successes and reevaluate your misses.

You haven’t put in the work

Commitment and action are also fundamental when setting goals. If you don’t commit to your goal with everything you have and put in the actual work to achieve it, then it is doubtful you will. This is because things don’t just magically happen, and it’s the action of working towards a goal that makes it successful.

Solution: Having the right mindset and clear intentions is a must. Once you have turned your goals into an action plan, get to work to make your dreams a reality. If your goal is to be a millionaire one day, you should do at least one thing every day to get closer to that goal, whatever it may be.

You are not showing gratitude

Taking the time to cultivate gratitude directs your attention to what you have and replaces a sense of lacking with contentment and satisfaction. When you take the time to show appreciation, you can begin to see the little gains you are making toward your goals. In turn, you will gain the motivation to keep going.

According to Dr. Robert Emmons, the feeling of gratitude involves two stages (2003):

1. First comes the acknowledgment of goodness in one’s life. In a state of gratitude, we say yes to life. We affirm that all in all, life is good, has elements that make it worth living, and is rich in texture. The acknowledgment that we have received something gratifies us by its presence and the effort the giver put into choosing it.
2. Second, gratitude is recognizing that some of the sources of this goodness lie outside the self. At this stage, we recognize the goodness in our lives and who to thank for it, i.e., who made sacrifices so that we could be happy?

What is Gratitude and Why Is It So Important? – PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/