What I Gained by Not Achieving All my Goals

This time of year is ideal for reflection as things wind down and we look to the new year. I am a goal-setter and box-checker. Each year I set goals for myself, personal and professional, and try my darndest to keep them tucked in the back of my mind as I live life.

This year, I DID NOT ACHIEVE ALL MY GOALS. Whew, that felt good to admit and I know many of you can relate. I did not accomplish everything I set out to do. I did not make a huge mind-blowing sale that changes my business or my life. I did not have a certain number of articles published in media outlets that I had hoped for. (Lift being the exception) In fact, looking back at my word for the year, “authenticity,” I merely did a mediocre job of being my most authentic self. You may ask, how can you be mediocre at being yourself, but you would be surprised. I let too many of my annual goals drive my life and it compromised being my most authentic self. It was not a great place to be and I was beating myself up over it.

I admit, there have been some years where I have cheated myself by making my goals easily attainable and whizzed through 365 days checking my boxes and feeling good about myself and all I accomplished. This year was different. I did not want the easy path. I set some pretty ambitious goals and some goals I knew would be a challenge. I love challenge and am optimistic, so I kept an open mind. While some of the challenges were too much for me, having an open mind proved far more meaningful.

Upon my annual reflection, I noticed something I scribbled into my notebook, tacked onto my 2019 goals. It seemed almost an afterthought, and yet it was important enough that I bolded it: GROWTH. Rereading this word was the reminder I needed to help me reset my perspective. No, I did not accomplish several of my goals and that is OK. I realized I achieved much more in the form of growth this past year, which I am quite proud of. I pivoted a lot. I cried a lot. I let go of things like unrealistic expectations. I rolled with good and bad situations and made the best of my many mistakes. Ultimately, I learned far more about myself, my wants and needs and how those fit into a bigger picture of my career, self-worth and life. And that is far more valuable than the goals I put on a page in a notebook.