7 Ways to Focus on Goals When Life Gets in the Way

Let’s admit it: it’s hard to focus on goals when life gets in the way. Often, goals are the first thing we drop when life gets busy or overwhelming. But just being aware of this can prepare you for the inevitable.

In a previous post, I shared How to Beat the Odds and Achieve Your Goals this Year. With most people throwing in the towel by February, it’s important to keep your goals front and center so you don’t give up.

Today, I’m sharing more specific tips on how to prioritize your goals amid life’s challenges.

7 ways to focus on Goals when life gets in the way - Marva Smith

keep the Focus on goals with these 7 tips

1. Create a Vision Board for the Current Year

One of the simplest ways to keep your eyes on the prize and your focus on goals, is to create a vision board incorporating your goals for the current year. Think of a vision board as a visual road map of where you want to be. It’s a visualization tool to help you achieve your goals, often made up of a collage of words, images, or a combination of the two.

You can create a vision board for your overall life or just one specific area, such as your health or career. It is a powerful motivator as it gives a mental image of your desired life and inspires you to keep moving forward to achieve it.

To help you stay on track, create your vision board for the current year only. Ask yourself: ‘if I could achieve all the goals I set this year, what would my life look like?’ Then capture that image on your one-year vision board.

If you make your vision board about goals that are too far off (say, 5 or 10 years down the road) you’ll get discouraged when those goals don’t come true soon enough. So resist that urge and focus on your annual goals for now.

Use a vision board to keep your eyes on the prize and your focus on your goals. Share on X

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2. Keep your goals in front of you

The saying is true: out of sight is out of mind. So when it comes to keeping our focus on goals we have to keep them visible.

Whether it’s your vision board or a typed or handwritten list of your goals, having your goals literally in front of you is one more way to improve your chances of achieving them.

Imagine the simplicity of a handwritten list of your goals framed and sitting on your desk. Or your vision board proudly displayed on your bedroom wall. Having your goals prominently displayed where you can see them regularly makes it pretty hard to forget about them.

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3. Embrace accountability

Another big reason goals fall apart is because of a lack of accountability. Did that word make you cringe? I know the word accountability might seem like a ‘bad’ word to some. If you think of someone holding a big stick ready to beat you up if you fall, let’s replace that image right now.

Accountability is more like having a cheerleader—someone who will cheer you on and encourage you on your journey, especially when you’re losing steam.

Think of your favorite football team. There are always cheerleaders on the sidelines cheering them on to a fantastic finish. Even if there’s no win, we can count on cheerleaders to lift spirits and keep motivation high. That’s the kind of accountability I’m referring to.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, think about how you can incorporate accountability into your goals. Can you think of someone who can fill the role of accountability partner? If so, ask if they’re willing to help you stick with your goals.

You could have multiple persons holding you accountable based on your various goals. The person keeping you on track with your health goals might differ from your accountability partner for your career, and so on.

4. Get a coach

Having a coach is a fantastic way to get clear on your goals and stick with the things you said you would do, particularly when life gets in the way. Not only will a coach help you create a road map to achieve your goals, your coach will also help you overcome the roadblocks along the way. This is a great way to keep your focus on goals you’ve committed to.

Coaching could be one-to-one (just you and the coach) or in a group setting where you benefit from your own transformation as well as that of others. (For more about coaching see here). And like accountability partners, you can find a coach to help you with different areas of your life, depending on your specific goals.

5. Make it a date

Goals are not a ‘set it and forget it’ type of thing, so waiting until the end of the year to review them isn’t the best idea. Instead, plan for monthly or quarterly reviews. These are times when you will check in and see how you’re doing with your goals. All the better if you can make it a fun time that you look forward to every month, maybe over a nice latte or glass of wine—whichever one you prefer. Make it a date with yourself that you won’t break, because after all, your goals and dreams are worth it.

Open your calendar (or your calendar app) right now and make an appointment with yourself. When life feels all topsy-turvy, those calendar reminders will encourage you to pause and take stock.

6. Pivot, pause or pack it up

As you review your goals, you may realize that some are no longer relevant or even doable, given all you have going on. It may be necessary to make adjustments along the way. You have three choices: pivot, pause or pack it up—3 P’s.

Choose to Pivot for those goals that are still important and relevant. For example, this might not be the best time to pay down your debt if a medical emergency has come up, but that doesn’t mean it’s no longer important. Instead of striking it off altogether, adjust the timeline.

Choose to Pause goals that are nice but not necessarily top priority. Pausing one goal gives you the time and space to focus on what’s most important. Be realistic about how much you can do with the time you have.

Choose to Pack-Up any goals that simply don’t fit what you’re trying to achieve. This might be a goal you set because someone else thought you should or a goal that is simply no longer important to you. There is no shame in saying goodbye to a goal that isn’t working.

If you’re not sure what to do, don’t allow yourself to stay stuck. Pray about it and seek advice from your coach or accountability partner.

Once you’ve decided on the way forward, be at peace so you can move on without guilt or regret.

7. Celebrate your wins

For the final tip, I encourage you to celebrate your wins, big and small. Don’t wait until you’ve lost all 50 pounds. Celebrate every 5. You might not have passed the exam yet, but the fact that you took the step to pay the registration fee is a big commitment worth celebrating.

Celebrating your wins could be as simple as sharing the good news with a friend or as big as going on a much-needed vacation after a big project.

The key is to recognize your efforts and allow the little and big wins to inspire you. Acknowledging your progress will keep you motivated and working towards those goals you’ve set for the year. This will help a great deal when you hit those bumps in the road.

Celebrating your wins – both big and small – is a fantastic way to keep moving forward toward achieving your goals. Share on X

Now that you have all the tips, which one will you choose to make this your winning year? You can’t predict what the year will bring, but you can decide to keep your focus on goals that are important to you.

Start with one tip and go from there. Then another and another. And before you know it, those little wins will snowball, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals, despite the challenges.

Now, it’s your turn

Which one of these tips will you implement today? Leave a comment and let me know, so I can celebrate with you.

And if you want help to figure out how to focus on goals when life is unpredictable, book a free clarity call and I’ll gladly share some insights. This is a no-obligation coaching consultation, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.