Why aren’t we doing stuff?

I was talking to one of my clients. They were trying to focus on making progress in a few areas. They finally basically said, I tell all the right things to my team but I’m not doing them. So why don’t we do them?

Well, the answers are both very personal and very universal. The trick is to figure out what’s going on for you and take a step to change it. Here are a few of the areas that could be holding us back.

1. Wrong goals – Sometimes we say we want to do something but we don’t really want to or intend to. So guess what? We don’t do them. Stop shoulding yourself. Think about your why and what real step you want to take. And acknowledge any drawbacks in moving forward on that goal.
2. Self-story – Do we think we’re not the kind of person who does that thing? If so, guess what? We don’t do them. Even the simplest step of writing down a self-story where you are that kind of person will increase your success.
3. Habits – Creating habits is completely doable and it’s one of the most powerful ways to create true change. But if we’re counting on enthusiasm, willpower, and remembering, guess what? We don’t do them. So break things down into a very small habit, create a trigger for that habit, and don’t try to do a ton at once. It takes on average 66 days to create a habit.
4. Unclear goals – Research shows that people who construct their goals in concrete terms are 50% more likely to feel confident they will attain their goals. If you have vague goals like “be more productive” guess what? We don’t do them. SMART goals are a great tool to quantify Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
5. Real life – We start with the best intentions but then we get dropped into reality. If we don’t plan for real life to impact us guess what? We don’t do them. So think ahead about what will get in your way and what your contingency plans are. Leave lots of space. And keep learning from experiences and adjusting your plans.
6. Other people – Ever heard the expression you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with? Well, it’s more than that. You are impacted by other people they spend time with – even if you don’t know them. So if we spend time with people who aren’t helping us or are maybe doing the opposite of our goals guess what? We don’t do them. So choose who surrounds you thoughtfully (or add people to create a better balance).
7. We’re not happy – We spend so much time focusing on the goals that will make us happy. But if we’re not happy guess what? We don’t do them. But if we focus on simple things that can make us happy wherever we are now like gratitude, flow, savoring, and awe we can be happier now and more successful in whatever we want to pursue.

If what you’re doing right now isn’t the thing you think you want to be doing pick one thing you’re going to do differently.

What are you going to try?