Try, Try and Try Again: Why are your plans failing?
- Michael Hargett
- Dec 31, 2015
- 4 min read
Picture courtsey of Pexel.com
Have you ever set a goal to accomplish the impossible? Have you ever developed a plan, executed it, but fell short of reaching your desired end result? Have you ever said to yourself, "I had a plan and I tried my hardest -- So why did I fail?"
Well let me tell you...
My Personal Experience
I had fallen short of my goals many of times from lack of planning. I think my biggest failures came from my almighty fitness goals. For example, every year I would make a goal to reduce my 5K run time. This may seem like an easy goal to conquer, but I had one problem...I hated running with a passion.
Typically, my 5K run time was about 27 minutes. But this particular year, I wanted to get it down to about 24 minutes and I had only 6 weeks to do it. My plan was to run 3 days a week for 20 minutes each day. I wanted to make sure I had the right equipment, so I drove to the local sporting goods store and purchased new running shoes. I even made a playlist for my iPhone so I would have some great running tunes to keep me going through that torturous 3.1 mile run. I was feeling motivated. I was ready to conquer my goal.
The first week of my journey went well. I made it to the gym 3 times that week for my normal 20 minutes of cardio. I was feeling great! Nothing could stop me from reaching my goal at that point...until complacency sat over me.
The following weeks didn't go in my favor. I love working out in the mornings around 5am, but I started staying up late each night watching TV. When my alarm would go off, I would hit the snooze button and say to myself, "I'll go after work." Do you think I went after work? Absolutely not! After I got off work, I would make an excuse and push my work out to the next morning. This started a bad cycle that was hard to break.
During my 6 weeks of training, I probably ran 6-10 times. When my race came around, I finished my race in 30:45...terrible. I didn't get faster as planned. No, instead I became slower than a snail. I failed -- and failed bad. Has this ever happened to you?
Why do plans fail?
After that miserable failure, I noticed I was missing the key ingredients to success. I was complacent, lacked determination and did the very things that have accounted for many failures throughout people's lives. There are 4 common reasons for why plans fail: lack of detail in the plan, partial commitment, not having the right people involved, and lack of accountability.
As a goal driven person, it’s important for you to understand these areas and steer away from these destructive traits when setting goals. Therefore, if you do not want to fall short of you goals and feel the same disappointment as I did, make sure you create a sound plan... and don't do the following:
Lack detail in planning. If you want to be successful and reach your goal, you need to develop a plan. More importantly, your plan should be detailed and include the steps to take to reach your goal. This will serve as your roadmap to success. And if developed correctly, it will be fail proof and lead you to the success you deserve. As Benjamin Franklin stated, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”
How would you know how to assemble a table without knowing the proper steps and tools needed to complete the task? It would be pretty hard, right? The same concept applies when it comes to setting goals for your life. Be very detailed in your planning. Get so detailed that a stranger or spouse could pick up your plan and reach your goal him or herself.
Being partially committed. Commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause or activity. It's the fuel to your dream, the factor that will keep you going in the mist of obstacles or in the event of a minor setback. Not being "all in" and possessing a partial commitment is a QUICK way to fail. Therefore, you need to make your goal a priority and dedicate quality time working towards it.
Not having the right people involved. Can you imagine owning a retail business and having an unmotivated sales team? Or trying to excel in a fitness competition without a trainer or coach? A great way to accomplish your goal is to have people on your team who can help you. You don't have to rely on your own abilities and you definitely don't have to be on this journey alone! Developing a team and support system can increase your chances to succeed. These people will provide you guidance when lost, motivation when drained, and hope when discouraged.
Lack of accountability. A lack of accountability is a major factor that can cause your plan to fail. Hold yourself accountable for your actions! I have found a great way to do this is to have an accountability buddy. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 states “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” Share your goals and dream with a trustworthy friend or family member. Find someone that will hold you accountable and is committed to your success as much as you are. This person can keep you on track and motivate you when times are getting tough.
I know many of you will start the New Year with a resolution. You may have a resolution to lose weight, increase your financial standing, or finish the semester with a 4.0 average. All of these goals are great and I hope you achieved them. But, before the start off the New Year, you need to develop a detailed plan and get committed. The only person able to stop your success is the person in the mirror.
