Goals are what happen when you're busy living life.

I have a secret to share with you.

I make goals every year and have for the last 20+ years.

I used to make a LOT of goals each year and I would get discouraged with little progress or not making the progress I wanted. Over the years, I have learned to pare the number of goals down to the important ones. I try to keep my goals to a max of seven.

I also do quarterly check-in's on my goals and if life has changed or something else has become the focus, I change my goals. Remember, goals are not set in stone - they are there to help give you clarity on what, and to have something, to work on.

Want to know another secret?

I don't accomplish all my goals every year.

Yep. You read that right. I help people accomplish their goals but I don't hit all of my goals every year. BUT! I work on them and I work towards them. Just because sometimes I may fall short, does NOT mean I failed. And it doesn't mean you failed either! It means you tried and you made progress.

Maybe a goal is:

...to pay off 1 credit card and maybe you didn't pay it off but you're 3 payments away from paying it off. That's AMAZING progress!

...to lose 30 pounds and maybe you didn't lose 30 but you lost 20. Woo hoo!!! Progress!

You see where I'm going with this, right? Too many times we focus on the negative and feeling like we failed. Instead, it's time to focus on the positive and the progress you made! Pat yourself on the back, recognize the work you put in and set new goals and a new plan this year.

I can coach people in accomplishing their goals because I fell short many times. I've done things the wrong way, the right way and the "it wasn't great but I learned a LOT" way. It all gave me the experience and value that I pass on to my clients so they don't have to fall on their face like I did.

There's always something to learn in your progress.