Setting goals is a big part of our life. We have so many hopes and dreams for things we want to accomplish. The positive side of this is accomplishing these goals but what we don’t often talk about is the setbacks we face along the way. It can be defeating and make us want to quit, and it is perfectly common! In this post we are going to talk about how to handle setbacks when trying to reach a goal. Even though most people don’t talk about how hard it was to get to their goal, know you aren’t alone in that struggle!
I feel like any goal you are working on is going to have ups and downs. Not many things you start and it all works out perfectly! This happens a lot with weight loss. You see someone make all this progress and figure it just worked so well for them while you are struggling on your diet. But what you aren’t seeing is their struggle, you are just seeing their results! Everyone has setbacks but if you want to succeed, you are going to need to keep showing up even when it gets hard!
#01 Be Gentle
So you set out to accomplish this goal. It is going really well and then, it isn’t. You find yourself losing your momentum or your progress and you are ready to just give up. In times like this it is so easy to be down on yourself but the trick is to show yourself some grace. Don’t forget, I told you before you are not alone here. People have setbacks all the time and you should honestly expect to have one when you set out to reach a goal.
Be gentle with yourself. Calling yourself names and getting all negative isn’t going to help you. If you feel like you need to have a little pity party, then set a timer for 5 minutes, have your party, and then pick yourself back up and keep going!
#02 Find The Positive
Find ways to focus on the positives of your journey so far. Write them down, speak them out loud. Do what you need to do so that you focus on them each day! Whenever you feel the negativity coming out acknowledge the feeling and then follow it up with something positive!
Finding the positive doesn’t mean you ignore your feelings when you are feeling down. It’s ok to feel sad or disappointed about a setback but you can’t live in that space. You need to find a way to acknowledge the feeling and keep working towards your goal.
#03 Make a Plan
This is probably my favorite part. Whenever I am feeling down or overwhelmed, sitting down to make a plan helps me to feel better. You don’t need an entire plan from start to finish. Plan out your next step or a way to overcome something you are struggling with.
Whenever I have a plan I feel grounded so whenever I have a setback just sitting down to think it through really helps. I might brainstorm new ideas or different things I can do to help me get to my goal. Your plan might be just one day at a time. It doesn’t have to be long term. Take small steps if you need, just take the steps
Wouldn’t it be so nice if we just set out to reach a goal and then did it without any problems? I mean that would be fantastic but the problem is, it isn’t reality. You aren’t going to reach goals without some kind of setbacks along the way. Just remember to be kind to yourself because a ton of negativity isn’t going to help you at all!
Need more encouragement? I totally get that! Working towards goals with support helps so much! Make sure to come follow along on Instagram and let’s do this together!
