Disappointed in Your Progress? 3 Ways to Refocus and Move Forward
The Key Point
When you’re not happy with your progress, frustration can keep you stuck longer than the problem itself. The key is knowing how to move forward. In this post, I’ll share three simple ways to shift your thinking and start making meaningful progress again.
You don’t need more effort—you need a better way to move forward.
Because it was the end of the quarter, I did what I normally do—I sat down and evaluated my progress in work and life over the first three months of this year.
And I’ll be honest…
I wasn’t real pleased.
I hadn’t made the progress on things I thought I would, and it was really frustrating me. So I decided to do a little self-coaching to get me to a better place, and it did. See if these three things might help you the next time you’re feeling a little bit less than excited about your progress over the past week, or month or even year.
1. Measure What Matters Most: Your Values
The first question I asked myself wasn’t about goals.
It wasn’t:
“How much did I get done?”
“How many boxes did I check?”
Instead, I asked:
“How well have I lived out my values?”
Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about what you accomplish—it’s about who you are while you’re working to accomplish it.
When I looked at my choices through that lens, something shifted.
I realized:
✔️ I had been intentional with most of my decisions
✔️ I had focused on what matters most
✔️ I had been generous with the people who matter most to me
And my perspective began to change.
2. Get Perspective: Talk It Out with Someone You Trust
The second thing I did was something simple—but powerful.
I had a conversation with someone I trust.
I laid it all out:
My frustration
My disappointment
Where I felt like I had fallen short
And as you can imagine… he saw things I couldn’t. I was too close to the situation.
He helped me:
Be more objective
See progress I had overlooked
Understand what may have slowed me down
That conversation didn’t magically fix everything—but it did something just as important: It helped me see clearly again. And when you can see clearly, you can move forward.
3. Refocus: Choose Just Three Priorities
Then came the shift that will shape my next quarter.
Instead of creating a long list of everything I should do…I chose just three priorities.
Now, I’ll be honest—this is not my natural tendency. It’s easy to feel productive when you list out five… seven… even ten things you want to accomplish.
But what I’ve learned is this:
The more I try to fix, the more overwhelmed I become.
And when I’m overwhelmed…I get stuck.
In my world, we call that feeling like you’re juggling elephants.
So this time, I asked:
What are the three things that matter most right now?
If I get these done, what will I move forward, fix, or have figured out?
After that, progress didn’t feel so far away. It felt doable.
A Simple Reset for Your Next Week (or Quarter)
If you’re heading into a new week, month, or season and you’re not excited about your progress so far, don’t stay stuck there.
Pause.
Then ask yourself:
Have I been living out my values?
Who can help me see this more clearly?
What are the three priorities that matter most right now?
Because progress doesn’t come from doing more.
It comes from seeing clearly, choosing wisely, and moving forward with intention.
