Time Management Blog - Part 2: Why Do Most People Fail to Achieve Their Goals?

​by Ann Rosser, CEO, Finding Resolution 
There are two primary reasons why individuals do not achieve their goals: 1.) Lack of real desire; and 2) No plan to get there.
A burning desire requires examining the reasoning behind the goal and the motivation to accomplish it. Decide what you want to achieve, set priorities and be 100% committed.
Planning allows a person to map out a course in a realistic way. Motivation means nothing if it is not set into action.
Important elements of planning:

• Maintain flexibility
• Plan for interruptions
• Expect the unexpected
• Anticipate, anticipate, anticipate

Think in detail about how to accomplish the goal and take that first step. Too many of us do not take the first step. We procrastinate. Inaction prevents us from gaining experience and opportunity. Try treating each day as though you are going on vacation for two weeks.
“Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.” - Don Marquis, American humorist, journalist
Time management is about setting priorities- not time itself. The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
For further reading on time management, take a look at the following Harvard Business Review articles: 
“Make Time for Time” at:  http://blogs.hbr.org/tjan/2011/12/make-time-for-time.html
“8 Ways Not to Manage Your Email (and 5 and a Half Tactics that Work)” at:https://hbr.org/2014/04/8-ways-not-to-manage-your-email-and-5-tactics-that-work
Next in the series on Time Management: “The Powerful Pull of Human Nature on Time Management”