What to Do When You’re Not Hitting Your Goals

A client said something to me this week that I hear all the time.

She had set a goal for how many workouts she wanted to complete each week.

And after a few weeks of not hitting that goal, she said:

“Maybe this isn’t the right focus for me right now.

Maybe I should be working on my sleep instead.”

Now, on the surface, that sounds reasonable.

Because sometimes it is the right move to shift your focus.

But most of the time?

That decision isn’t coming from a strategic place.

It’s coming from an emotional one.

Here’s what I mean.

Since setting that goal, she had been exercising more than she was before.

So it’s not like nothing was happening.

But because she wasn’t hitting the target perfectly each week...

Her brain jumped to:

“This isn’t working.”

“This must not be the right focus.”

“I should do something else instead.”

And this is such a common pattern that keeps women stuck.

But not hitting the goal isn’t the actual issue.

The issue is how quickly we decide that the goal itself is the problem.

Because, let's be real…

No one likes to feel like they’re failing.

So when you miss the mark a few times, your brain starts looking for a way out.

Something you can switch to that will not only feel easier,

But that will also feel more important.

Something you can label as the “smart” adjustment, so you can justify abandoning the previous goal.

Now, like I said, sometimes it is the right move to adjust your goal(s).

But sometimes adjustment is just avoidance in disguise...

So before you switch your focus, there are a couple of really important questions you need to ask yourself.

First:

Is this goal actually unrealistic for me right now?

Or…

Have I just not found a way to follow through on it YET?

And more importantly:

Have I completely exhausted ALL the resources I have available?

• My time

• My effort

• My support systems

• My problem-solving skills

Or…

Have I only tried the options that felt easy or familiar?

Because there’s a big difference between:

“I can’t do this.”

And:

“I haven’t figured out how to do this yet.”

And this is where things get tricky.

Because there are two extremes I see all the time.

On one end are the women who keep pushing toward a goal that doesn’t actually fit their life right now.

They don’t have the time.

They don’t have the support.

They don’t have the capacity.

But they keep forcing it anyway.

On the other end are the women who shift gears the moment things get uncomfortable.

They miss the goal a few times…

And instead of getting curious, they change the focus.

All while telling themselves it's the most logical thing to do.

Living at either end of these extremes keeps you stuck.

Because real growth happens in the middle.

Where you’re willing to stretch…

But also willing to be honest.

Where you’re not forcing something that doesn’t fit…

But you’re also not letting yourself off the hook the moment it gets hard.

The work is learning how to tell the difference between:

“This isn’t the right goal for me right now.”

And:

“This is uncomfortable, and I haven’t figured it out yet.”

And that’s not always easy to see on your own.

So before you decide to change direction (again), sit with this:

Have you actually exhausted your options…

Or just the ones you were comfortable trying?

And if you want help knowing when to hold the line vs when to adjust, that’s exactly what we work on in coaching.

Click HERE to book a call to see if it's the right next step for you.