Achieving Goals Doesn’t Happen by Chance
It’s already October, which means we’re already three-quarters of the way through 2025. This weekend, I’ll be reviewing my quarterly goals. This is part of my regular planning routine.
We’ve all set goals and then not achieved them. It’s frustrating and can often lead us to feel it’s easier to not set goals at all. Why bother if we aren’t going reach them anyway?
Time is limited and there is so much that I want to do!
I just finished reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. He explains that no matter what your goals are, using a proven framework to get better every day will dramatically increase your chances of achieving your goals. His book lays out practical strategies for forming good habits, breaking bad ones, and mastering the small behaviors that create remarkable results over time.
One of his key points is that if you’re struggling to change, the problem isn’t you—it’s your system. Bad habits don’t stick around because you don’t care. They stick because you don’t have the right structure to replace them.
That’s why I schedule time to review my goals to see where I am and what I need to do to keep moving forward. I do this quarterly, monthly, weekly, and even daily.
Things are constantly changing, which is why I live by what I call flexible rigidity. This is the balance of being flexible enough to make changes, but rigid enough to keep the most important priorities at the top of the list.
Sometimes that means taking small steps. And sometimes it means admitting a goal isn’t worth keeping and removing it from the list.
Life is full of choices and these need to be guided by our priorities.
Ultimately, choosing what our goals are going to be (and whether we accomplish them or not) comes down to accountability. This is the expected or required accounting for one’s actions.
Accountability doesn’t just happen by chance. It’s an intentional practice. In most cases, accountability is something that is seen as a great idea but is not really understood. Here are seven truths about accountability:
- Accountability starts with you – You have to take ownership, make commitments, and meet those commitments.
- You are accountable – You’re accountable for failures as well as successes.
- Accountability isn’t a one-time thing – It’s an all-time thing. You are accountable for your actions in everything you do.
- Accountability applies to everyone – There is no pass on this. Whatever the outcome, you are responsible for your actions.
- Accountability can’t be delegated – Delegating responsibilities doesn’t mean you are off the hook. They are responsible for their actions, and you are accountable for the outcome.
- Accountability is the difference between success and failure – We need to take ownership of our choices. When things start to go wrong we need to find a solution and fix it.
- You need to hold others accountable – Having other people check in and see how we’re doing is helpful. Accountability has to be worked at. There needs to be a clear and consistent process.
I think that we’ve lowered the bar on our expectations. A lack of accountability has become too common and acceptable as a standard. That’s why I have accountability as one of my core values. I want to raise the bar.
Does this mean that I’m going to reach all my goals this year? No. But what it does mean is that my regular reviews and reminders help me be accountable and do better than I would if I just “hoped for the best.”
If you’re a contractor who feels stuck on your goals (or you’ve tried and failed to stay consistent before), let’s fix that. I offer a free 30-minute consultation to help you get clarity on your next steps and build accountability into your business.