The Mid-Year Panic: The Fix If You Haven't Hit Your Goals Yet

When we are closer to New Years Eve than we are to New Years Day, the panic starts to set in. The moment of realization sets in that you haven't hit your goals yet. How has the year gone by so fast? What happened to everything I wanted to do/accomplish/experience?

If you are asking these same questions, you aren’t alone. Hopefully I can give you some insight that will quiet down your panic.

Reasons Why You May Not Have Hit Your Goals Yet (And How To Move Forward)

There are a variety of reasons why you may not have progressed as much as you thought you would this year. All reasons are valid and have something you can learn from. Let’s get into them.

1) Your Goals Were Too Unrealistic 

In my opinion over-ambition is just as dangerous as not being committed to your goals. Either way you feel like you aren’t doing enough. The difference is that when you are over-ambitious you actually are making progress, you just can’t see that. Keep this in mind if you feel like you haven't hit your goals so far.

It’s time to review your goals and determine what is realistic, and what you should consider scaling down. If you wanted to run a marathon, but have been running 10 miles, why not pivot to running a half marathon? It’s still a huge accomplishment, but it doesn’t feel as daunting.

2) The Goals You Think You Want To Achieve Aren’t Ones You Actually Want To Achieve

Sometimes what sounds exciting in January, doesn’t line up with the you 5+ months away, and that’s okay. Life is ever changing and we shouldn’t try to hold on to something that isn’t meant for us.

Take some time to go over your goals and get honest with yourself. Is this something you genuinely want to do/achieve/experience? If the answer is yes there is still time to make it happen. If the answer is no, let it go.

3) It’s Been An Unpredictably Hard Year

When we dream up what we want to focus on in the year ahead, we have no idea what that year has in store for us. That is both exciting and terrifying. Even the most ambitious and productive people aren’t immune to life’s unexpected turns. 

Sometimes you just are having a hard year. As much as you want to hit your goals this year, you haven’t had the time or energy to commit to them. Don’t let what you can’t control make you feel less than for not reaching your goals. 

4) You Haven’t Been Disciplined so You Haven't Hit Your Goals

This is where you’ll have to give yourself some tough love. You not hitting your goals could be as simple as you haven’t been disciplined. It’s okay, there is still time to turn it around, but you have to call it what it is to move forward. 

I’ve been here more times than I can count. I’ve realized that I wasted so much time waiting for motivation to come. What I really needed was discipline.

Maybe that is where you are hung up now? Do some self reflection and see how you can turn it around and still hit your goals before the year ends.

What To Do Differently Next Year

Now that we are on the right track, let’s make sure we stay there next year. Here are some tips to keep in mind as we get later into the year.

1) Start Thinking About What You Really Want To Achieve Earlier

A lot of the time January comes and we are like, “Quick, what do I want to accomplish this year?”  It can cause us to rush into setting our goals, or even picking things that we really don’t want to do. 

To avoid this, start thinking about what you might want to do, accomplish, and/or experience next year around the beginning of November. You don’t have to finalize them, but it will get your mind going before the holiday busyness sets in. Then you can reference your ideas throughout the next few weeks and finalize when you feel ready. 

2) Give Yourself A Roadmap if You Haven't Hit Your Goals

All too often we come up with these big goals without also coming up with the actions we need to take to get us there. We aren’t going to do that next year. While you are brainstorming your goals, break them down.

What are the smaller things you can achieve that can be checkpoints, and what are the daily, weekly, and/or monthly habits that will get you there? Break your big picture down like this and you will be on your way to success.

3) Allow For Flexibility 

As you have seen this year, life has a way of laughing at your plans and throwing you curveballs. Don’t let it detour you!

Give yourself grace and have plenty of room for flexibility in your plans to meet your goals. This will help those curveballs not feel as daunting.

4) Get Accountability 

This last piece of advice should not be overlooked. Accountability can do wonders when it comes to achieving your goals. Whether it’s checking in with a friend, marking a habit tracker, or participating in a challenge, all of these can help keep you going throughout the year.

I recommend doing a mix of these honestly. A great way to do this is to have a plan for accountability with every goal you set. You'll see how quickly putting these in place will help you reach those goals you haven't hit yet.

See what you have in common with friends, find online groups dedicated to that specific goal, or download a habit tracking app. See which of these options make the most sense for each goal. Don’t rule out having multiple ways of accountability for each goal either.

Final Thoughts on When You Haven't Hit Your Goals Yet

As you can see, all hope is definitely not lost. Put into practice some of the tips from above and you just might be able to end the year on a high note, panic not included. Then start early on next year’s goals applying what you know now.

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