The Top 5 reasons people do not achieve their goals

Goal achievement is googled everyday. How can I achieve my goals? What is essential to goal setting? Are my dreams not goals but illusions? The questions are endless. After reading numerous books on the successes of others and scouring through YouTube for interviews of successful people, I have come to a conclusion about why some do not achieve their goals.

Here are the top 5 reasons why people do not achieve their goals.

1. They do not believe

All goals start out as a dream. In order to make that dream become a reality, you must believe that you can do it. It sounds easy. It is easy. The problem is that we tend to listen to others' opinions about what we should do instead of following our heart and mind. The company that you work for started out as a dream to the founders. They believed in what they wanted to do. Believing is the first step. You have to believe that you will succeed. When you believe, every other attribute that will be needed to assist you in your journey will emerge. Perseverance, motivation and persistence are just a few. Not believing that it can be done never allows you to start.

2. They have no vision of their goal achievement

What this means is that although you may have a goal, you have not envisioned the desired result. You need to visualize were you want to be once you have achieved your goal. If you were going on a vacation, you would know exactly where you were going. You would know exactly what you want to do. Whether it's relaxing on a beach with a cold beverage or having fun at an amusement park, you have a vision for your vacation. Your goals are no different. You have to see the end in order to know how you are going to get there. Some will tell you not to get caught up in visualizing the end result. This a fundamental error in goal achievement. You have to know where you are going in order to know how to get there.

3. They have no plan

The plan is the roadmap to get to your goal. Many times the plan is either not well thought out or it is too vague. The plan needs to account for as much as you think will be necessary to achieve your goal. At the same time, the plan has to be flexible. You will not be able to account for every obstacle that can occur. On the other hand, you may find a different way to accomplish one of your steps in the plan. The plan is a guideline. It can be ever changing depending upon your goal. The key is to have a plan and make adjustments as you progress towards your goal.

4. Procrastination

Many people do not achieve their goals because they are waiting. They are waiting for the right time. They are waiting to be at this particular stage in their life. They are waiting for their financial status to change. They are waiting. Here's the problem: there will never be a right time. Time can be your best friend or your worst enemy. If you have a strong enough desire to achieve your goal, you will not wait. Procrastination is a result of lack of desire. You may disagree but if you really want to achieve your goal, why are you waiting? If you believe that you can do it, why are you waiting to begin? Procrastination is what causes regret. You will not have a perfect plan therefore there is no excuse to wait. Begin now.

5. Afraid to fail

The last reason why people do not achieve their goals is because they are afraid to fail. When it comes to goal setting and goal achievement, failure is a part of the process. In order to succeed, you will fail. You must understand that failing is not the end of goal achievement. Quitting is the end of goal achievement. Everyone who has achieved some type of success failed before they reached their goal. Failure teaches you what needs to be improved. Failure is an essential learning tool. Once you understand that failure is not the end but a key to your success, you will achieve all your goals and dreams.

These are the five reasons I have deduced that prevent people from reaching their goals. Three of the reasons simply require a change in thinking (#1, #3 and #5). If you are able to change your mindset, you will achieve your goals. So I leave you with this question: “what’s preventing you from achieving your goals?"