Our lives are not static and our goals can grow and change in the same way we do. They can be influenced by both internal and external factors. So, as we learn more about ourselves and the world around us – our goal journey can require tweaking.

If you feel out of touch with your goal journey. There is no need to worry. The answer to these three questions can help you evaluate and make required adjustments.

Am I still excited about my goal?

Many things in life can stop us from reaching our life goals. Such as: 

• Being distracted by other priorities
• Feeling unmotivated to take action
• Feeling overwhelmed by the process

These are all normal issues we need to overcome as part of the process. But if your goal journey has gone off the rails you should reflect to see if there are deeper reasons to consider.

If you are feeling out of touch with your goals – take the opportunity to check and make sure they are still right for you.

The key to your motivation is to ensure your goal journey still excites you.

Self-reflect on the following: 

1. Am I still feeling excited about achieving my goals? If not, why not?

Once you reflect on the questions above – you should be in one of two places.

• Ready to reinvigorate your goal journey: In which case – check-in with your goal plan and make any adjustments you need to move forward.
• Ready to start again: It is never a bad idea to go back to the drawing board with your goals.

Has my life shifted?

As our life progresses and our experiences multiply and what brings us meaning will naturally evolve as a result. As this evolves – so will our goals.

If you feel out of touch with your goal journey – take the time to self-reflect. Perhaps subtle (or massive) changes in your life require your goals to shift gears.

Self-reflect on the following: 

1. When I think about what is most important in my life – does anything different come up?
2. If it does – consider what effect it has on your goals and make any required changes.

Where is my focus?

Sometimes internal factors creep into the way we shape and achieve our goals. These can come from issues such as:

• Perfectionism 
• Fear of failure 
• Imposter syndrome 
• Self-doubt 
• Comparison with others

These factors can influence goals and behaviors, and change their focus. 

We find ourselves focusing on these issues and not the goals we need to be working on. We can find ourselves modifying activities to protect ourselves from being uncomfortable. And we can focus on the dark tunnel and not the light we need to reach on the other side.

Self-reflect on the following: 

1. What am I trying to achieve and what thoughts are stopping me from taking action.
2. Try to understand why you are having these thoughts. (Continue to ask yourself: But why do I think that until you hit a root cause?)
3. If required, revisit your goals – and make any changes required.

As your lives evolve – your goal journey will too.

So don’t be afraid to keep re-shaping your goals. Continue to self-reflect and make the changes you need to go full steam ahead.