Reasons People Give Up On Their Goals Too Early

6/14/2018 7 Reasons People Give Up on Their Goals Too Early | Inc.
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INNOVATE
7 Reasons People Give Up on Their Goals Too Early

But, you were so close.
By Nicolas Cole Contributor, Inc.com @Nicolascole77
Too many people judge success by the day--which isn't realistic, and here's why.
They set a really big goal, usually something that combines the pro ciency of multiple skill sets, each
of which would take years to master. That goal is then tied to some sort of hope relating to external
validation: "When I achieve this, then everyone will respect me!" And nally, to top it all off, they vow to
themselves to work relentlessly toward said goal, all without rst examining their daily and
questioning where in their busy schedule they are actually going to put pen to pad, brush to easel,
nose to the grindstone and do the work required.
In short: they have failed before they've even begun.
Chances are, you are one of those people. That's because everyone on earth is "one of those people."
We all, no matter how goal oriented we proclaim ourselves to be, have a knack for expecting things of
ourselves that are unrealistic.
The dream chasers take a statement like that and say, "You can't stop me!" But even they fail to realize
that their own success is not the result of brute force. Succeeding over the long term has far more to
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do with stepping back and subtracting distractions, rather than voraciously pushing forward. The latter
is how you burn out.
All of that is really just the tip of the iceberg. Here are the real reasons people give up on their goals far
too early:
1. They want the outcome more than they want to obtain a skill.
How many people do you know that speak often of something prestigious they want to be, and yet
never actually take the necessary steps in order to become that very thing?
A lot.
Human beings love to fall in love with the idea of something grand. We love the thought of being a
famous tech entrepreneur, far more than we love sitting in a dark room for years on end learning how
to code. And what happens when that rst road block is reached? Failure is assumed and the whole
path is given up entirely. Because knowledge and mastery over a skill wasn't the driving force--the
shiny reward at the end was.
2. They care too much about what people think (and fear judgment in
failure).
Sabotage.
It's what people do to avoid the fear of rejection. You see, by sabotaging yourself, you can see the
failure coming ahead of time. You can prepare for it. You can make up a whole story about how it
wasn't your fault. And all of that is much safer than putting it all on the line and giving the world a front
row seat.
People give up because they fear what other people will think if they fail.
3. They mistake failure for lessons learned.

The best goal-setters know that failure is nothing more than a lesson in disguise. In fact, a quote I live
by is, "Never mistakes, always lessons, forever masters." This is the motto for the path of true mastery.
Those that give up on their goals, however, treat failure as a label. "I've failed," they repeat to
themselves over and over, entirely missing the opportunity right in front of their eyes.
It's only a failure if you see it that way. To everyone else succeeding, it's nothing more than a hard-
earned lesson.
4. They would rather throw in the towel than pivot.

Find me one company that knew exactly what it was going to be in every way, shape, and form from
the onset. It doesn't exist.
That's because companies, brands, ideas, and visions are not stationary ships. They are not
constructed at a table in advance and then brought to life in exact form. They evolve over time, they
grow, they gather feedback and adjust.
People who give up on their goals stay entirely too attached to what their vision was at the onset,
unwilling to compromise with the new information their journey has provided. They would rather chalk
it all up as a failed venture than take what they've learned along the way, apply it, and allow their idea
to change shape.
In short: they can't let go of their original expectation.
5. They do not have the discipline to stick with their idea long enough to
see it live.
Everybody wants to be "the idea guy" (or girl). Everybody wants to walk into the room, listen for ve
minutes, shout out a crazy thought, and then drop the mic and leave. Very few people want to get in
the weeds and bring that idea to life.
The reason is because being in the weeds is hard work. You have to get your hands dirty. You have to
really, really know your stuff. You have to embrace the unknown every single day, and push forward
regardless of what challenges arise.
Most of the time, people give up on their goals simply because they lack discipline. They can't get
themselves to see something through to the end, regardless of how small the project. They haven't yet
cultivated the habits required to work not just on the days they feel inspired, but the days they feel
uninspired as well.
6. They get distracted by what someone else is doing.

Entrepreneurs are notorious for wanting to build the company someone else is building successfully.
In an analogy, people give up eating what's on their plate because they want what they see on
someone else's. Especially when what you're looking at appears to be an easier-to-execute business
model (which it rarely, if ever, is), it can be so easy to be distracted.
What this leads to is a lack of patience, which encourages a lack of discipline, which only speeds up
the process of your giving up.
7. They don't believe in themselves enough.

And of course, the most overused but brutally true cliché known to man: the fastest route to
abandoning your goals is a lack of self belief.
Mindset is everything, and without an iron clad and positive frame of mind, you will fail. That's just the
cold hard truth of it all. No matter how talented you are, no matter how many opportunities are handed
to you on a silver platter, if you lack belief in yourself you will nd a way to squander it all.
On the ip-side, those with a nely tuned mindset prepared to endure can and will see an idea through
to its success. An average person with average skill sets but a persistent mind can make it past the
nish line. A talented individual with no self belief cannot.
If any of the above resonate with you, I highly suggest you question how you can begin forming
positive habits to shift its direction.
Success is yours for the taking.
PUBLISHED ON: MAR 3, 2017
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6/14/2018 7 Reasons People Give Up on Their Goals Too Early | Inc.

7 Reasons People Give Up on Their Goals Too Early

In short: they have failed before they've even begun.

3. They mistake failure for lessons learned.

4. They would rather throw in the towel than pivot.

In short: they can't let go of their original expectation.

6. They get distracted by what someone else is doing.

7. They don't believe in themselves enough.

Success is yours for the taking.

PUBLISHED ON: MAR 3, 2017

More from Inc.

Harris Williams & Co.View

LinkedIn Finds 1 Deal-Breaking Perk Attracts Top Job Seekers, Even if

Sponsored Financial Content

WHARTON EXECUTIVE EDU.

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SUBSCRIBE FOLLOW INC.

© 2018 Manuseto Ventures

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