Has your life come to a screeching halt? Are you not making the dynamic progress your life deserves? Do you find yourself questioning your abilities?
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Why aren’t I further ahead in life?
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Why haven’t I reached the goals I set for myself 10 years ago?
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Why am I still living in the same deadbeat town with a job I’ve complained about since the day I was hired?
People stop progressing for a number of reasons. Outside forces could easily be stunting your growth. A personal tragedy could be preventing you from reaching towards the horizon; from allowing yourself the opportunity to look beyond what is tangible. But know this – you’ll never reach your goals in the manner you intend.
It hurts, though, doesn’t it?
Let’s be honest. Knowing that a goal you set out to achieve ended in failure can break you. It can belittle your confidence, spark a bout of depression, and stop you from ever believing in yourself again.
And the worst part? It can prevent you from ever trying again.
With your confidence lost to the wayside and your emotions in a bundle, how can you be expected to progress? We live in a world that relies on assertiveness. A world that caters to those who know how to handle their own ambitions. In such a world, how can one expect you to continue progressing without dealing with small hiccups along the way?
How can you reach anything you set your mind to, any goal you jot down on that bucket list, without a little confidence to go with it?
It’ll be tough. Let’s not sugarcoat the issue. But you aren’t perfect, nor are you meant to be.
Not every goal will be realized. And no, this isn’t just about you – it’s about everyone. It’s about the majority who set personal goals on a daily basis.
Perhaps you’ve crafted a five-year plan to get your life back on track. Maybe you’ve come up with a solid ten-year plan to get that doctorate. Or, a wanderlust at heart, maybe you’ve made yourself a plan to visit every country on the globe.
Not all idealized endgames will be reached.
You may think this isn’t okay. You may consider yourself weak because you haven’t reached the seemingly attainable. Maybe you view yourself as a lesser person because of it. Perhaps you deem you dreams less significant than another’s due to your inability to reach those goals.
But you’re wrong. Why? Because this happens to everyone. At some point, regardless of your confidence and capabilities, your progress will falter.
Tweet ThisIn fact, this road of progress relies on maintenance to remain open. Your progression demands you develop a tolerance to setbacks. In life, you must deal with the following to progress well:
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The moments you must get over in order to continue. Tragedies you must get through in order to get ahead.
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The incidents you never saw coming. The spontaneous, harrowing, life-halting situations that prevent you from ever reaching the path you originally intended. Examples include job loss and private losses you keep to yourself, such as debt and friendships.
The road to progress isn’t stagnant.
Like everything else in life, progression is wavy; endlessly subject to change. The fact that you aren’t able to continue on this road with ease doesn’t make you any less capable. It doesn’t somehow make you a lesser person. It makes you human.
4 Reasons You Aren’t Making Progress in Life
Wondering why you aren’t progressing as you should? There are a few key reasons your life has stalled.
1. You’ve stopped taking care of yourself.
For one reason or another, you’ve decided you aren’t worth it. You have chosen to view yourself as insignificant. You have decided that self-love means nothing; that what you attempt to fix won’t do you any good.
You’ve stopped embracing the passions you once enjoyed. The exercise program you once loved? You have stopped the habit. You, an avid bookworm, have let those books collect dust because you find yourself too busy taking care of others.
You’d think the necessity of personal time would be common sense, but it’s not.
People don’t realize the harm they’re inflicting on themselves until it’s too late. A week spent away from a lifelong passion can hinder progress significantly. For a creative entrepreneur, an inspirational loss can easily cause business damage.
One misstep can easily lead you astray. It happens more than most care to admit.
Isn’t taking care of yourself a simple task? It should be, but it’s not.
Taking care of yourself requires effort. Yet when life throws curveballs the size of the Grand Canyon your way, it’s tough to set aside emotional strife. And when you’re unable to push toxic thoughts from your mind, you feel incapable of catering to the thing that matters most: yourself.
Putting effort into making yourself whole again isn’t a simple task. Healing yourself isn’t in a day’s work. But in order to progress, you must make the effort to take care of yourself.
It may take time to regain composure from a heavy loss, but you can’t let it sway the rest of your existence.
You’re worth every ounce of effort you’re capable of exerting into yourself.
And your self-preservation plays more of a role in your progress than most provide credit.
2. Your goals are too far out of reach.
Goals are made for multiple reasons. These aspirations are made daily by ambitious people across the globe:
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Bucket lists on death beds of the elderly
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Aspirations from a 9-year old etched into a coveted, worn-out diary
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Ambitions of a wanderlust hell-bent on traveling to every wonder this world has to offer
Most goals are attainable. Yet at some point, these ambitions must be considered with care and blunt force.
Are my dreams truly attainable? Are they too far out of reach for me to consider at this time?
Goals are meant to be set for a reason. They motivate you; encourage you to keep going, regardless of the consequences you may face. But a goal to become a doctor by the age of 18 is a bit out of the question.
A 20-something college student may dream of retirement. Settling down at age 60 as a self-made millionaire is a goal worth fantasizing about. But that dream is a bit farfetched.
Long-term goals matter, but short-term goals can’t be forgotten. If that student concentrates only on that retirement dream, his short-term goals will undoubtedly rot on the side.
What happens when that long-term goal simply can’t be reached? Progress is halted; confidence lessens. Ultimately, that student loses the desire to work towards the future he so dearly coveted. But what if that goal was altered, perhaps changed to a shorter plan? Instead of chasing that retirement dream at age 25, maybe he changes it to an easily managed five-year plan to start a business. Think about the possibilities he could accomplish!
Goals are worthwhile tools to help your ambition along. Yet sometimes, they can be too far out of reach. Don’t let a hefty ambition stop you from continuing down that road of progress. You’re worth the effort.
3. Finances have destroyed your confidence.
You see and hear about it all the time.
Student loan debt is kicking college graduates where it hurts the most. Credit card debt is slowly increasing for all who own a wallet. People live paycheck to paycheck more than the world cares to admit.
Are finances destroying your confidence? If so, you aren’t alone. And you will surely never beat it with ease. Getting out of debt requires patience, effort, and inspiration. It takes a special kind of person to not be burdened by blossoming money troubles. In fact, there aren’t too many folks in this world not concerned about their next paycheck; about the next meal they may or may not be able to put on the table.
With such financial concerns looming in front you, placing an overcast veil on the world, it’s no wonder your progress has been destroyed.
In order to continue along this road, you must come to terms with your financial situation. Figure out how to snowball yourself out of debt. Speak with a consultant. Learn to live within your means.
Do what you must, but do it efficiently. Your progress depends on your ability to deal with your finances. While it may be tough, it’s necessary.
4. Your circle is too toxic.
Toxicity seeps into the most harrowing parts of your soul. It can remain stagnant, ever persistent, pressing on the heart of the most kindhearted individual.
Where does it come from? The people with whom you surround yourself.
Certain individuals are simply incapable of joy. Rather than encouraging and motivating, some folks reek of narcissism. They spread toxicity, slowly letting it seep into their surroundings.
If you aren’t progressing, consider your group of friends. Think about the drama you’ve somehow gotten yourself entangled with. Progress depends on a level of self-preservation that toxicity is easily capable of wounding. And it is through those wounds you’ll find yourself unable to keep going. It’s through those harmful critics you will lose sight of everything that once made your life bright.
How can you progress if what once enlightened you is now nowhere to be found? How can you continue if all you felt significant was snatched from your grasp?
You may not realize just how toxic your group is. You may need to deeply consider the people you spend the most time with, both on your personal time and at work.
Don’t let the emotional vampires of the world break you down.
You’re far too important to let them stop you from progressing in the way you deserve.
Your Progress Depends On You
Nothing in life comes without a price. It’s impossible to reach for something without another effort falling behind. Avoiding the things that hold you back is tough. Doing so is far easier to read about than to actually comprehend.
But do yourself a favor – learn to build yourself up.
Whether you’re a 20-something just beginning an enticing career or a 40-something with a long history in the judicial system. Remember, progress is important. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’ve been, or where you plan on going next.
You have goals worth reaching for. But you won’t get anywhere if you’re unable to progress. You won’t get out of your own driveway if you don’t first shovel the snow from your path. You will never budge if you don’t first lessen the load you must take on the road to progress.
Don’t lose sight of what matters most. Don’t take yourself out of the picture. Remember – your well-being matters.
Your goals are significant, but be cautious in setting them. You want them worth working towards, not unattainable. And while financial issues may gloom every hallway in your home, don’t let the money win! Your progress towards a better, financially stress-free future depends on how you handle yourself now when debt is at its highest. And finally, don’t let a toxic circle prevent you from reaching all you hope to achieve. Toxicity is never worth the effort it requires to maintain.
Let it go. Seriously. Let it all go.
Your progress depends on you. Continue on the path you deserve. Reach for the path to progress with open arms. Don’t let a narcissistic friend stop you from getting what you deserve.
