We all have metrics by which we measure our progress in life.

It could be our age and the expectations we set for ourselves once we reach a certain life milestone.

It could be to hold particular positions in our industry.

Or it could be to reach a specific number in our bank account.

While goals can be an essential, even indispensable, part of a peak performer’s life, those same goals can be a double-edged sword.

When we fail to meet them, they could be a glaring reminder of our inability to meet our expectations, exposing us for the inadequate human beings that we are.

It’s okay to be disappointed.

But what’s not okay is to use our ‘failures’ as evidence to justify our lack of worth.

Just because you’re not progressing as fast as you want to doesn’t mean you’re sucky, useless or undeserving.

It just means what it means: that you’re behind.

Sure, you may be behind.

But you’re still in the race.

Simon Sinek would call this having the ‘Infinite Mindset’. It involves avoiding the black-and-white thinking of ‘win’ or ‘lose’ and simply seeing yourself as ‘ahead’ or ‘behind’.

In the race of life or business, there is no such thing as ‘winning’ or ‘losing’.

Everyone has their own finish line.

While you may want to be the top performer in your industry, someone else may be more interested in being the highest paid.

While someone else may be focused on being the most well-connected influential figure, you may be focused on creating a meaningful impact on the community.

When someone says they’re “No. 1” in their field, it’s absolute B*S. How can you claim to be Number One when the playing field is always dynamic and people measure themselves against different scorecards?

So today, we’re only going to be shedding light on why you’re not progressing fast enough, by your standards.

I have 3 possible reasons to explain why you may not be progressing fast enough…

3 Reasons Why You’re Not Progressing Fast Enough

Reason #1: You have an inability to say ‘No’.

Understand this: every time you say ‘yes’ to something, you’re saying ‘no’ to something else.

Question is, do you know what you’re saying ‘no’ to?

Saying ‘no’ is uncomfortable. Unless you’re a sadist, nobody likes to outrightly reject someone, especially if they’re on the receiving end of a sincere request.

At some level, we all want to be caring and attentive to the people around us.

We say ‘yes’ to them because we care.

Being able to grant other people’s wishes makes us happy and it fosters our relationship with them.

But at what cost?

Peak productivity asks… no, DEMANDS… that you are calculating and ruthless about saying ‘no’ to the things that are not a priority.

Even if you have to rub some people the wrong way.

Saying ‘no’ is much easier when you’re crystal clear about your priorities.

What are the things in your life that you must be focusing on to achieve your goals in the quickest time possible?

What are certain values or standards that are simply non-negotiable for you?

What are the ‘good’ things you’re willing to sacrifice in order for you to get to the ‘great’ things faster?

To be truly effective, you want to only say ‘yes’ to the things that are directly relevant to your purpose or vision.

Everything else can wait.

Reason #2: You may not be taking enough risks.

In all my years of coaching, I’ve come to the conclusion that one of the greatest things that make people feel ‘stuck’ in their lives is their unwillingness to take the necessary risks.

If you reflect on the most transformative periods of your life, those moments which shaped you to become a much better person, you might discover that many of those moments involved you facing a tremendous amount of uncertainty but having the courage to take a risk.

And it paid off.

The pursuit of anything of worth involves some degree of risk.

It could be asking for a promotion, starting a business, pursuing a romantic relationship, or trying out a life-changing hobby.

The fear of the unknown can be really scary.

But if you look at it from an objective standpoint, you will find that it’s impossible to grow at all without taking on some form of risk.

In the early stages of my personal growth, I would declare that the three scariest risks I’ve ever had to take were taking up martial arts, trying out public speaking and running my own business.

All of them were risks that paid off and fundamentally shaped me into who I am today, and I’m proud of it.

Those pursuits laid the groundwork for much of the success I would later experience. The success I would never have imagined.

After I got some wins, I hired a coach who was able to provide me with a roadmap to take me to the next level.

A strong reason why you may not be progressing fast enough is you might have been doing the same things over and over.

In your little bubble, you may not be aware that you may be stuck with an outdated perspective or maybe repeating the same mistakes over and over.

It may be time to shake it up by investing in something that will take you to the next level. And this requires a risk.

This could be a coach, a mentor or a course – something that will cost you in the short-term but can pay huge dividends in the long-term.

Reason #3: Your environment doesn’t support your goals.

We are all affected by our environment.

Those who disagree probably have never experienced life in quarantine.

When we see someone who may not be living up to their full potential, it’s very easy to dismiss them as lazy, unmotivated or unfocused.

This is known as the fundamental attribution error, where we tend to misattribute someone’s lack of success to internal factors like their personal qualities.

However, the situation is usually more than meets the eye.

One factor that is so easily overlooked is the environment.

If a person is not living up to their full potential, it’s very likely that there are environmental factors that are limiting them from moving full speed ahead.

Who are the people they frequently spend time with?

Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are influenced by the people we hang around with. Their attitudes, beliefs, perspectives and actions are unconsciously transferred to us via osmosis.

There’s a saying that goes: “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

If you’re not progressing fast enough, ask yourself: are you spending time with the people who are going where you want to go?

Or are you spending time with people whose influence will only keep you stuck where you are?

This goes back to reason #1 in this post – saying ‘no’ and making sacrifices.

If you want to progress fast enough, you must be willing to walk away from the friends, colleagues and even family members who may not be supportive of you in your mission.

Sure, if they’re family, you may not be able to completely sever ties with them.

But you still have to be intentional in dedicating more time to spending time with the right people: partners, teachers, mentors and communities whose presence in your life pushes you forward and not backwards.

If you’ve not met these people yet, my recommendation is to go solo for a while and start looking for these people who may be on the same wavelength.

On the other end, start distancing yourself away from toxic individuals, particularly the emotional leeches who may see you as a way to selfishly fulfil their own needs.

The hard part is that you may have built a bond with them and have shared many fond experiences with them in the past.

But if they are no longer aligned with the vision you’re building in the future, it may be wise to quit spending time with them now so that you can be free to attract those who are much better for you.

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Leaps In Progress Costs Short-Term Pain

If you look at all the three reasons discussed above, they all involve prescriptions that involve some sort of short-term pain.

Saying ‘no’, taking risks and cutting ties with toxic individuals may all be painful in the short-term, but they could be the price needed to free yourself of the burdens that keep you stuck in the present.