How to Get Back on Track and Recommit to Your Goals

There’s a club for people who’ve started on the path towards their goal and found themselves a little behind schedule off track.

And everyone is a member!

I’m a firm believer that shifting priorities is simply a reality most professionals must face - and it’s better not to anticipate that we’ll be all in on our goals 24/7/365.

Life just doesn’t work that way!

If you’re in need of a little reset, here’s some of my advice for you.

Don’t make it worse!

I’ve been listening to the way my clients talk about themselves when they don’t accomplish their goals. They describe themselves as “lazy,” “lacking discipline,” “unmotivated,” or worse, they start thinking they’re “maybe not capable.”

My clients are a super impressive bunch! They aren’t any of these things!

Instead of judging yourself for dropping a ball, acknowledge that you likely had too much on your plate to begin with.

Acknowledge your priorities

When I’m struggling to motivate myself, there’s a little question that can help kick me into gear:

“What will your future self thank you for?”

Shifting to thinking from how we feel right now to how we’d like to feel in the future can provide a friendly re-frame to think a little longer term.

It helps you think about what you need to do for yourself, not about what you’re lacking. Sometimes the answer to this question is that I need to stop doing it and just relax! And if that’s the answer for you, you don’t need to feel guilty about it!

I’m not suggesting that asking yourself this question will help you produce work 24/7. Quite the opposite, actually.

Sometimes you’ve got to chill out and re-charge.

This question helps me be conscious of when I’m zoning out because I’m simply not focused and when I really just need to take a break.

By asking myself “What will my future self thank me for?” I can figure out if what I need is some time off or some time to re-group and get focused.

Avoid the “all or nothing” trap

If I try to choose between going to the gym or getting some writing in and I ask, “What will your future self thank you for?” I realize that I want to get some work done and get a workout in.

Then I can find another solution beyond just those two options: I can skip the gym (and the commute to the gym), walk around my neighborhood and still get some writing time in.

Failing to meet your daily or weekly goals is one thing, but feeling guilty about it might be even worse! Letting go of black and white thinking, or feeling like you’ve only got two options, can help you be creative and maximize your time and efforts.

Normalize re-engagement

When you have a plan, make sure part of your plan is to re-engage.

You’re almost never starting from scratch. You almost always have better job search assets and more information.

What have you learned and how will it impact your next steps?

Re-engaging your job search could be just what you need to move your job search (or other goals!) forward strategically.