Kimberly rolled over and looked at her bedside clock with dismay. The jarring alarm had jolted her from a blissful dream and she reluctantly swung her legs onto the floor. It was getting increasingly difficult for her to rise each morning and she longed to stay in bed for one more hour.

Up to two years ago, Kimberly had enjoyed getting up at the crack of dawn. She always anticipated another exciting day at work, and was the first to arrive and the last to leave the law office. Her dedication had won her several awards, as it was obvious to her bosses that she was a rising star.

From she was just eight years old, Kimberly had wanted to become a high-powered, well-paid attorney like the beautiful actress on her favourite television show. Ignoring the frivolities enjoyed by her friends, she had excelled at university and achieved her law degree in record time.

Her routine was disrupted one fateful evening when she was swept off her feet by a charming man with whom she had grudgingly agreed to have dinner at the insistence of her best friend. After six months they were happily married, and before long, the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy.

Now Kimberly felt listless and unfocused at work. All she could think of was her precious son, who was home with the housekeeper. Her dreams of being a legal luminary seemed unimportant, and she longed to find a way to work from home and have more time to concentrate on being a mom.

Is your goal still important to you?

Like Kimberley, there are many people who have reached a point in their goal journey when they begin to question their willingness to continue with the process. Although they may have struggled and persevered through various challenges, they no longer have the vitality required to keep going.

This disenchantment is different from the negative feelings that may arise from normal setbacks in your goal progress or from your own procrastination. If you are dissatisfied with your objectives and desperately wish to be doing something else, then it may be a signal that your dream is dying.

Life is constantly changing and it may be naïve to think that you will always feel the same about the goals you had made in the past. Should you steadfastly proceed with your plans even if you don’t want to? Let’s look at some triggers that can indicate that it is actually time to give up on your goal.

Do you feel pressured by your goal?

Some people often create specific goals to fulfil some important emotional needs. For example, your aim to buy a home could stem from a desire to find the security you lacked as a child, or it may derive from a wish to confirm your upward mobility to people who may have doubted your abilities.

Sometimes the motivation driving your goal is coming from external sources. Let’s say you were the first child in the family to do well in school; there may have been an expectation for you to pursue a college degree, even if you had secretly wished to become a fashion model instead.

Whether the pressure is self-imposed or from others, you may be going after a goal for the wrong reasons. If your pursuit of your objective makes you feel anxious and irritable, it could be a sign that your goal isn’t right for you. Be honest and decide if your mission is really worth pursuing.

Are there other ways to attain success?

Most people will choose goals that are commonly sought by others, or seek conventional ways to accomplish their objectives. So if you were always told that in order to succeed, you need to study hard and get a job with good fringe benefits, you will associate this route with your quest for wealth.

However, it is possible that you could find other methods to satisfy your desires that do not fit the established routines. So despite your parents’ admonitions that you could only make money in a profession such as law or medicine, it is possible to get rich from running a successful enterprise.

If you had created a goal but now you’re not certain that it’s the best route to realise your dreams, then go back to the drawing board and look at other possible ways to achieve your objectives. Be true to yourself and determinedly seek a solution that will not be in conflict with your ideals.

There is no dishonour in admitting that you no longer desire a dream that had once captivated your interest. Life is too short to be trapped doing things that won’t give you what you truly want. Don’t be afraid to restart your goal journey, and ensure that you set off on the road that is right for you.

Copyright © 2015 Cherryl Hanson Simpson. No reproduction without written consent.

Originally published in The Daily Observer, February 26, 2015

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Cherryl is a money coach and business mentor, and founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. See more of her work at www.entrepreneursinjamaica.com and www.financiallysmart.org. Contact Cherryl