If you’ve set some goals but aren’t seeing any progress, you need to do something about it.

It’s usually because of a few mistakes we all tend to make that prevent us from getting farther. In this case, it’s better to change your approach.

Here’s why you’re not getting any closer to your goals and what to do about it:

1. It’s not what you really want.

Many people set a goal because everyone else seems to be going after the same thing. Such an objective usually sounds amazing and just talking about it makes other jealous.

But if it’s not the right thing for you, achieving it won’t make you any happier.

Reaching the top of any career won’t matter if it’s not something you’re passionate about and can do for hours, for instance.

That’s why you need to be honest with yourself and conduct a self-analysis. Imagine your ideal lifestyle, get to your deepest desires and the things you don’t want to have in your future. Write all these down.

Once you get clear about what it is that you want, you can set goals that resonate with it, and can be sure that reaching them will make you successful and satisfied.

2. They’re not specific enough.

Vague wishes won’t help you see progress. You not only need to know what you want, but also must be specific about the details.

Have a picture in your mind so that you can attract that exact lifestyle. After all, if you don’t know what you’re focusing on, you won’t get it.

Whatever your big goal is, niche down. Break it down into smaller goals, then turn these into more manageable and easier action steps.

This way, the whole thing won’t seem scary at all, since you’ll have simple actions to take and each will get you closer to where you want to be. You won’t need to wonder where to start, and will feel accomplished after taking each tiny step.

That’s a great way to achieve all your goals in life.

3. You don’t have a deadline.

Our mind works much more effectively if it has a deadline. Goals are something you’ve set and other people have nothing to do with it. So it’s you who needs to set a deadline too.

Do it right away. Give your goal an end day, divide it into milestones.

That will also help you track things and decide when to improve your approach.

4. Too many distractions.

Getting closer to a goal requires being focused on it long enough so that it can become a reality. That’s quite difficult with the countless distractions in everyday life. So let’s do something about them.

If you want to start a digital business on the side, for example, you’ll need to dedicate some time to that daily and work without any interruptions. What you can do is wake up a bit earlier and use the quiet morning to do that. Let people know not to come in the room while you’re working and schedule meetings and less important stuff for later in the day.

5. Not being consistent.

Going after a goal is similar to building a new habit — you need to do one thing daily to stay on track and keep moving forward.

Without consistency, there won’t be any progress. So find easy ways to make sure you won’t miss a day, or a few, and then eventually leave your dream behind.

You can use reminders, organize your day around your goals and the activities connected to them, find like-minded people that can give you advice and inspire you to keep going, and so on.

Get creative here. All this will also keep you motivated.

Short-term motivation goes together with consistency to produce amazing results.

6. You listen to the naysayers.

The people in your surroundings won’t have the same goals as you do, but that shouldn’t stop you from going after what you want.

However, there’s a chance that these people also won’t understand you, may try to talk you out of doing this, and may make you think it’s impossible to achieve, or stupid in general.

Don’t let that happen. Be ruthless with your goals and stick to them. Keep your vision alive and move forward slowly, but steadily.

Soon these same people will be asking you about your secret.

7. Keep your ‘why’ in mind.

You’re going after your biggest transformation in life, you’ve decided what you want, and want to make it a reality. That can only happen if you constantly remind yourself of your why —that’s the reason you started doing this in the first place.

So ask yourself why you want to achieve this goal, know the good things that will happen once you reach it, imagine how you’ll feel and what new opportunities will open up.

These are the main reasons why people aren’t getting closer to their goals. There’s something you can do about each to make sure you do see progress all the time.