Top 10 for Pursuing the Goal When You’re Not Getting Results

Everyone goes through periods in life when they question what they’re doing, where they’re headed, how they’re doing it, and why they’re doing it. And such introspection is most notable when individuals aren’t seeing the results they’d like to when striving to reach a goal or achieve a certain outcome. 

But not to worry. Folks that go through periods of doubting the “what”, “where”, “how”, and “why” of the path they’re on are working off of basic human nature. We’re going to be okay. Because if truth be told, the fact that we go through these periods of self-doubt shows that we care about the pursuit at hand. We care and we want our efforts to be fruitful.

I’ve been experiencing bouts of self-doubt in little ways throughout my content creation/new product development journeys. Self-doubt has been a never-ending companion, unfortunately, but has served its purpose in oddly profound ways. The unwelcomed thoughts it’s fed into my psyche have never pushed me to the point of petering out of working toward something I’m truly passionate about, but strangely fueled my passion (or stubbornness, you might say) to keep going and change my trajectory if need be.

So, I’d like to share 10 suggestions for you to try out before you give up on your goal . . . your dream . . . your vision. Sometimes, you may just need to tweak a few things before you see that flicker of hope that let’s you know you’re on the right track. And with time and much-needed patience, your desired outcome is truly within your grasp. And here we go . . .

1. Keep attacking. Grind even when you’re not seeing the results. If you’re learning, growing, applying your knowledge, and continuing to improve through your experiences, you’re already reaping rewards from your labor of love. You’ll eventually see some positive results – – just maybe not in the timing and in the form in which you envisioned them when starting out on your goal pursuit.
2. Remember that pains are a part of the growing process. Things (situations, circumstances, events, etc.) aren’t always going to lay out easily and perfectly before you. More often than not, you’ll rarely experience a perfect scenario. So, be of the mindset to create the most optimal experience you can with what you’ve got to work with.
3. Don’t be afraid to change up strategies that just aren’t working. (Here’s where stubbornness needs to take a back seat.) Dropping what doesn’t work isn’t a sign of defeat; it’s a sign of growth. When you’re first starting out on your goal pursuit, you’re not going to know what works best for you until you try it out, tweak it where needed, and see what happens. And you can’t base your possible success on what’s worked for someone else. That someone else’s success may not work out best for your situation. (Ahhh — the complexities of being unique human beings). Your job is to find your flow and what makes you shine.
4. Focus on the little wins and you won’t have time to obsess (another word for wasting a lot of mental energy that could go toward working on your goal) about all the losses you may be currently experiencing. For example, you may be noticing results like your growth in skills sets, your growth in strength of character, and a following of people who value what you do. But because you’re not seeing the profitability from a healthy bottom line (take-home money), you ignore all the other noteworthy stuff that’s going in your favor and write off your pursuit as a huge loss. Don’t do that! Wins (other than financial gains) matter, as well. 
5. Take regular mental health breaks. Sometimes, it’s necessary (for your sanity) to step away from the grind momentarily, take a break, and come back and attack when you’re refreshed and recharged. 
6. Don’t sacrifice your health for your goal. Eat and drink right, sleep right, and exercise right. At the end of the day, whether you succeed or fail at your goal, you’re stuck with YOU. So, take care of yourself, okay? And when I say take care of yourself, I mean the whole self (mind, body, and spirit). Remember: if there’s no you, then there’s no goal to fulfill.
7. Listen to some people who are relatable and who have struggled in the area(s) where you’re struggling and overcame. You do yourself a great disservice by focusing all your attention on the gurus that seemingly had success with their goal-achievement straight out the gate. They have their place in building your confidence, but not at the onset. Those overnight success stories are rare and tend to give you an inflated sense of ease for how you can gain your success. And when you don’t get there as easily and quickly as your high-on-a-pedestal mentor, you may slip into the negativity that comparisonitis can bring about.
8. Have a support system who believes in you and encourages you in your endeavor, even if you’re not displaying success in those vanity metrics that people like to intently focus on so much.
9. Watch small business owners package and ship their products on YouTube videos. There’s something therapeutic and encouraging about seeing the “little man” and the “little woman” realizing their dreams in producing and selling their own stuff. Actually, watch any inspirational movies, documentaries, reality tv shows, videos, etc. that highlight people achieving positive goals (even when the odds may be against them). These kinds of visuals give those of us struggling out there hope and the reality of the hard work and dedication (the grind) it takes to make dreams a reality sometimes.
10. Love what you’re pursuing. If you don’t, then hard times will knock you off course and you’ll cave in to the pressure that “no immediate” success brings on. One thing I’ve come to find out on these content creation/new product development journeys is that you’ll sacrifice for what you love and won’t give up on it, even during rough times.