15 tips to help you get back on the horse – when you are feeling discouraged with your goals.

Feeling discouraged or disheartened is something we all experience during our goal journeys.

When this happens – doubt can creep up on us. We can worry we will never reach our dream goals. We can get concerned all our effort will be for nothing. It can stop us in our tracks. 

We can find ourselves struggling to tread water, wondering why we chose not to take a bridge.

I have been there. Honestly – I have been there often. In fact – I find myself today.

In an effort to paint a picture of what it was like to feel discouraged – I went looking for a definition of discouraged:

Having had one’s confidence and determination reduced – Collins Dictionary

However, this doesn’t seem to capture the gravity of the situation. 

So, then I looked up some synonyms: 

Crestfallen, depressed, dismayed, pessimistic, beat, blue, dashed, daunted, deterred, dispirited, down, beat-down, caved-in, come-apart, down-in-mouth, downbeat, downcast, glum, gone to pieces, in a funk, in blue funk, in the dumps, lost momentum.

Bingo! 

In my glum and crestfallen state today. I am finding myself pessimistic and deterred with my goals. But, although I am feeling daunted and down in the dumps – I don’t want to completely lose momentum. So, I will try to get out of this funk by providing some tips.

These tips can help you brush yourself off and keep going – if you are feeling discouraged with your goals.

So, if you are also feeling beat by your goals – don’t feel dispirited and cave in. Check out this list of 15 quick tips – and take the reins back again.

Tips for when you are feeling discouraged with your goals

1. Lean into it

That’s right. Just let yourself feel discouraged.

According to the research you will benefit from accepting negative emotions and thoughts and just letting yourself feel them.

This is a great time to start journaling or phone a supportive friend – and vent, process, and lean in.

(If you are venting to a friend they might like to read this post: Being a good friend – The tips you need)

2. Remember this emotion is normal

There is nothing wrong with you if you are feeling discouraged. 

Remember, it is normal to feel ups and downs during your goal journey. So be kind to yourself.

3. Avoid catastrophic thinking

If you are anything like me – this is a tough one. But, don’t let your mind run away with itself. A bump in the road does not mean there is a 100-mile sinkhole on the horizon.

Just because things feeling disheartening today – doesn’t mean you will never reach your dreams goals.

4. Look after yourself

Now, is the time for self-care.

When you are feeling discouraged – you can feel fragile and down. Take this opportunity to get stuck into your practice self-care. 

So, whether this means, reading a book, having a massage, or an aggressive gym workout. Do what you need to take a break and look after yourself.

5. Get a hug

There are many benefits to hugs that can help you relieve stress. So, find someone to give you a 20-second cuddle. 

If you can’t get your hands on anyone – don’t worry. You can still reap the benefits by just giving yourself a squeeze.

6. Help someone else

Intentional kindness is a great way to get out of your head and embrace some good vibes.

So, take the opportunity to help someone else. Even small efforts like holding the door open for someone can get you out of the gate.

7. Remember it’s worth it

Remind yourself of your ultimate goal. It’s fantastic right!? 

Being able to reach your dreams is going to be worth a few short-term hiccups (like the one you are experiencing now).

8. Believe in yourself

The fact is – you can reach your goals if you put in the work. So, know it – and believe it. 

It’s important to be your own cheerleader and master of the self-pep talk during your goal journey.

9. Search for your positivity

Positivity will help you and your brain to start working on your goals again. So, start thinking about positive things. 

Take a moment to remember your past successes, listen to your favourite song, or think about your favourite person.

If you have trouble seeing the glass as half full – check out this post: How to stop being negative.

10. Practice your gratitude

Gratitude is another great way to up your feelings of positivity and get you moving forward with your goals. 

Gratitude increases your positive affect (mood) which research tells us has multiple advantages for you and your successful goal journey.

11. Ensure your goals are right for you

Sometimes we can pursue goals that aren’t right for us. It is imperative that you are truly excited and personally motivated to achieve your goals.

If you are feeling like you can’t get your goals off the ground – check out this post: Obstacles in achieving goals – Is your brain sabotaging you?

12. Sharpen your goal focus

Sometimes we can feel disheartened when we are galloping after vague goals. Make sure you have focused and clearly defined goals that are right for your current situation.

Need a hand focusing on your goals? Check out this post – The life changing goal setting tip

13. Check your definition of success

Make sure the success you are trying to achieve – aligns with your personal definition of success. 

If you are chasing the wrong dreams – you will never feel successful.

(If you need to recalibrate your definition of success check out this article)

14. Learn from it

There is a good possibility that something has led to you feeling discouraged. So, take this as a learning opportunity. 

Take the time to self-reflect so you can learn from this experience. You might discover something that can help you.

Related post: Why self-reflection is important

15. Get back to work

The best thing to do when you have fallen off the horse is to get back on again.

If you need some tips for resaddling – this article provides pointers to get you working again.

So, next time you are feeling discouraged about your goals – use these tips to get yourself trotting again.

Hopefully, you’ll be feeling the breeze in your hair in no time.

(End of lame horse riding analogy [pun half intended])

Do you sometimes feel discouraged when pursuing your goals?

Drop a comment below

(Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Unsplash)