5 Simple Ways You Can Get Back On Track Today

This post is all about how you can get back on track.

So you’ve slipped up.

Whether it’s been a minor slip-up or something you’ve neglected for years, there is no time limit on deciding that you want to get back on track.

There’s a reason you wanted this goal/achievement in the first place and an imperfect journey doesn’t have to stop you.

Here’s a secret – All journeys are imperfect.

Once you are willing to embrace that there will be highs and lows to every uncomfortable challenge you take on, it can be easier to unpause those goals after a misstep.

If you want more on why unpausing goals is preferred to starting over, I wrote this whole blog post explaining the power behind the phrase.

Check it out here.

But now, the simple ways you can get back on track starting right now!

Why did you start?

First, ask yourself this question.

Why did you start this goal in the first place?

What was the reason behind wanting this end result for yourself?

Once you understand your Why more, you are recalled to that initial feeling when you first made the goal.

As rational people, we don’t usually stick with something out of our comfort zone unless we know the reason behind it, whether it’s the benefits we’ll receive or the feeling we’ll have.

Take 5 minutes to journal about your Why:
Why you started and what it meant for you to finally leave your comfort zone to achieve this goal.

Now that you remember what your Why was then, let’s consider how it’s changed.

What does your goal mean to you now?

If you take a moment to re-evaluate, has the meaning of your goal changed?

Maybe your Why hasn’t changed but now as you’ve tried a couple of strategies and can assess what’s worked or hasn’t worked for you…

Has that changed the meaning for you?

Oftentimes people will give up because it’s “too hard” and that it “isn’t worth it”.

This means that their goal doesn’t mean as much to them as they thought it did initially (before they knew the amount of work it’d take).

Take 5 minutes to journal about what your goal means to you NOW:
How has the meaning changed now that you know how much work this will take?
Is it still worth it to you to achieve the end result even though it might not come easily?
Has your goal shifted into something else along the way?

You should be honest with yourself because (going back to the Why section) you won’t be committed unless your head and heart are aligned on Why you’re doing it.

So take some time to think of what this goal means to you now.

Was this goal supposed to bring permanent or temporary change?

When you consider the end result, was it supposed to be a lasting result or just a temporary result?

Be honest with yourself and pick one or the other.

If you waffle back and forth in the grey area, you’re missing the point.

Write a statement following this template:
I want the results of ______ (your goal) to have a ______ (lasting OR temporary) effect.

By forcing yourself to pick one, you can realign yourself appropriately.

If you honestly want your results to be lasting, then you have to accept that the process will take longer (to build new habits, break down limiting beliefs, etc).

When you’re in it for the long haul, there’s bound to be many times where you’ll have to get back on track and adjust your strategies as your life evolves.

If you quit now, what are you losing?

It’s easy to revert back to our old habits.

There’s nothing difficult about returning to our comfort zone and staying there for the rest of our life.

However, you won’t change without making a change – praying and wishing don’t substitute for taking action.

Take 5 minutes to journal about what you’re losing if you quit now.
What would you gain by quitting?
Is comfort worth the sacrifice?

Don’t glamorize the comfort zone, you already know exactly what’s waiting for you there.

What does getting back on track at this point look like for you?

Lastly, consider what getting back on track might look like.

Some people prefer to jump all in whereas others find a lasting change with smaller steps.

Whichever is right for you, assess what you’ve done before that maybe hasn’t worked as well and what you can do now to adjust your strategy.

As promised, here are 5 simple ways to get back on track today:

Write it out. Be specific about what your goal is and understand why you have that goal. Include how you’ll feel by accomplishing that goal, what the significance will mean to you, and why you owe it to yourself.
Break it down. What steps actually have to happen to help you reach your goal? Take the larger pieces and break them into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Plan it. Write down in a planner, or whatever calendar app you use, specific dates and times that you’ll complete each specific piece. The keyword here is always specific, if you go too broad then you won’t have an agenda of needle-moving tasks to complete.
Do one thing today that will move you forward. Little or big, don’t wait to start tomorrow. Do something today.
Give yourself a pep talk. Look in the mirror and don’t speak negatively towards yourself for falling off track, be kind and gracious with yourself about why you’re so unstoppable!

I hope these tips resonated with you and let me know what your tricks are for getting back on track!