What’s stopping you from accomplishing your goals?
As business owners (and humans!), we can do everything we’re “supposed” to do when it comes to positive goal setting, but we can still end up missing the mark. Why is that?
Often, the truth is that WE get in our own way!
Of course, there can be very real external factors that slow down or stop your progress in a particular area, but more often than not, the biggest obstacles to achieving your goal are internal!
Ask yourself: Why do you fall off track or give up halfway through an endeavor? What stops you from pushing a project over the finish line?
For me, it’s my habit of procrastination coupled with my perfectionistic tendencies. While harmless on the surface, these internal “settings,” beliefs, or habits can become major obstacles and barriers for your business success.
If you want to smash your business goals this year, it’s essential that you identify the internal obstacles that are blocking your progress and put systems in place to help you overcome them.
Here are a few tips that have helped me:
Procrastination is one of my worst habits, and it’s impacted me on a personal and professional level my entire life. I always end up getting my tasks done, but I’ve usually stressed and obsessed about the project for weeks, felt completely overwhelmed, and then end up scrambling to finish it at the very last minute.
Can you relate?
Overcoming procrastination takes a lot of intentional effort. And for me – that involves “tricking” my brain into working on things ahead of time.
Why this works: If you’re a procrastinator, that usually means you are motivated by a deadline. But since your “big” deadline is so far into the future, this method can help trick your brain by setting mini deadlines for you to work toward.
Perfectionism has killed more dreams than mistakes ever will.
Let that sink in for a second. If you find yourself fine-tuning a project endlessly, or dissatisfied even after dedicating hours, days, or weeks to it, you’re caught in the grip of perfectionist paralysis.
It’s natural to have an ideal vision for your business, your life, or your product. But reality rarely lives up to the ideal. Just because your work or your life doesn’t look exactly like you pictured, or isn’t as good as you think it should be, don’t let that derail or devalue your efforts.
If you wait until everything aligns perfectly, you will never finish, you won’t launch, and crucially, you won’t get the chance to learn and improve.
In my role as a social media consultant, I frequently remind my clients (and myself) that posted is better than perfect. Action, even if imperfect, beats inaction every time.
The key to breaking free from the shackles of perfectionism lies in shifting your mindset.
I’ve found that having a set of go-to mantras can be incredibly effective in breaking out of a perfectionist paralysis loop. Here are some of the mantras that resonate with me when I’m struggling to wrap up a project:
These sayings remind me that progress, not perfection, is the true marker of success and help me get over the fear that’s at the heart of it all.
What are some of the biggest internal obstacles you’ve faced when it comes to achieving your goals? I’d love to hear about it!
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With over 15 years of experience, I've worked with countless small businesses just like yours. I can provide you with the tools and resources that will help make marketing less overwhelming.