Why You’re Struggling to Reach Your #1 Goal (And How to Fix It)
At some point, we all hit that wall. The one where you start asking, Why am I stuck? Why isn’t this working? As a Jack Canfield Certified Success Principles Trainer and author of ‘The FUNdamentals of Business Success’, I’ve spent a lot of time talking to business owners, coaches, and entrepreneurs who run into the same roadblocks. I also asked members of the Our Success Group Community, and guess what? The same patterns showed up.
Turns out, there are 8 major reasons people struggle to reach their goals. If you’ve been spinning your wheels, check these out and see where you might need a tune-up.
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Negativity and Old Programming: Your brain is like a storage unit—you’ve got some treasures in there, but also a bunch of outdated junk. Many of us carry limiting beliefs planted by well-meaning people who just want to keep us safe. The problem? Those beliefs keep us stuck instead.
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Improper Focus: Too many people waste time trying to fix their weaknesses instead of playing to their strengths. Instead of spreading yourself thin, pick one clear goal, lean into what you do best, and go all-in.
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No Vision or Clarity: People often don’t have a clear understanding of what their goal is or how to achieve it. If your goal is based on what someone else wants for you (or what society says success should look like), you’ll struggle. Without clarity and alignment to what actually drives you, self-sabotage creeps in fast.
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Not Enough Grit: Achieving a goal is going to come with many obstacles along the way. I see it as sort of a test to make sure this is really the goal you want to be dedicated to achieving. But at times we lack the tenacity (or grit) to stick with a goal and see it through to completion. If you are not 100% committed to making it happen it might be time to reevaluate.
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Fear and Limiting Beliefs: Fear is sneaky. It disguises itself as procrastination, perfectionism, or “waiting for the right time.” Whether it’s fear of failure, rejection, or success (yes, that’s a thing), it holds you back from taking the next step.
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Lack of Self-worth: A lack of self-worth can prevent you from taking the action necessary to achieve your goal. The feeling of being undeserving will cause you to save your energy and emotional bank account and not put yourself out there when the time comes. It also manifests as feelings of shame when goals are not met, making future goal setting even harder and creating more negativity and old programming habits that don’t serve you.
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Procrastination and Complacency: These two ugly cousins often appear to the outside world to be laziness and are significant obstacles to achieving goals. We end up always waiting for a more opportune time that never comes. If you’ve been sitting on a goal without action, ask yourself: What am I really avoiding?
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Giving Up Too Soon: Finally, the most common reason people don’t achieve their goals is they people give up too quickly. Look up the story about R. U. Darby and his uncle and how they were “3 Feet from Gold”. The reasons might be due to discouragement, impatience, or encountering bigger challenges that the person is willing to face or even never starting due to various reasons. But regardless failure only occurs when we give up.
So, How Do You Fix It?
At their core, these 8 roadblocks aren’t about skill or talent—they’re about alignment. Your goals need to match up with your Strengths, Values, and Passions (SVPs) so they energize you instead of drain you. Instead of forcing yourself toward a goal that doesn’t truly fit, let’s align your business to what fuels you.
That’s exactly what we do in the SVPs Business Alignment Assessment. This is a complimentary session I love hosting with fellow business owners. You will get:
✅ A clear understanding of whether your business aligns with what truly matters to you
✅ Insights on why you’re stuck (and how to fix it)
✅ A custom strategy to get unstuck and move forward
👉 Take the SVPs Business Alignment Assessment now: OSG.link/svp
The biggest shift happens when you stop fighting yourself and start moving in alignment. Passion is a powerful driver, but it’s not enough by itself. A clear plan + aligned action = unstoppable momentum. If your goals aren’t lighting you up, it’s time to change them and your process. Part of my training as a success principles trainer and my mission to help people fall deeper in love with their business is to help businesses maximize their fulfillment through achieving their goals. So I too have seen many of these challenges or even lived them personally. I know you can overcome them, are you willing to ask for help?