You’ve set your SMART goals. You’ve written them down. You’ve discussed them with a mentor. You’ve shared them with friends and family. You’re working hard. You care deeply about your “why” and you’re excited about the future.

...But why aren’t you where you want to be?

Let’s take a look at eleven ways that you might be holding yourself back from achieving your goals.

1.   You’re not staying with problems long enough. Giving up too soon is a surefire way to never reach your goals. If you’re throwing in the towel or retreating to your comfort zone every time you start to struggle, you’re hurting your chances of success and missing out on key opportunities to take steps forward toward your goals.

2.     You’re only doing the right things SOME of the time. Consistency and self-discipline are the name of the game. You can’t expect to achieve your goals with any efficiency if you haven’t developed the right habits. You might be working really hard in the short term, but if you keep pumping the breaks, you’re only tiring out the engine and slowing yourself down.

3.     You’re sweating the small stuff. Every time you lose your attitude, you’re moving in the wrong direction. If you don’t have thick skin, you’ll go down an emotional rabbit hole whenever you face failure or frustration. Doing so only diverts your attention away from what’s most important and drains the precious energy you need to stay motivated and keep pushing.

4.     You’re avoiding the stuff you don’t want to do. We all have tasks we’d rather not tackle, conversations we’ve been putting off, and areas of professional development that we’ve been hesitant to address. But oftentimes, the things we’re avoiding are the things we most need to do. If you haven’t hit your goals yet, it might just be because you’re not stepping up. Adopt a sense of urgency by giving yourself smaller time-bound goals that will help you move the needle as you battle your procrastination.

5.     You lack self-awareness. If you want to improve in any area of your life, it begins with looking in the mirror. Many people end up stagnant because they blame their lack of progress on outside factors instead of understanding their own role in their successes and failures. Once you see yourself clearly and lose the excuses, you’ll be able to focus on self-improvement and start taking the right steps towards your long term goals.

6.     You’re not planning your days and weeks. When you’ve got big goals to hit, every minute counts. By not planning ahead, you are not only wasting time, but you are leaving space for lower priority tasks to crowd out the ones that will make the biggest impact on your advancement. Make time management a priority to make room in your schedule for things like professional learning and development which can help you build skills you'll need to finally achieve your goals.

7.     You’ve been too focused on just yourself. It sounds counter-intuitive, but sometimes focusing too much on your own career goals can set you back -- especially if you’re working in a team-oriented environment. You’ll find that if you prioritize helping your team hit their goals, that you will in turn hit your own. By sharing your knowledge and skills with others, you'll reinforce your own strengths while you help others achieve their own personal goals.

8.     You’re not receptive to coaching. If your pride is more important than your professional development, your progress will inevitably be slow. If you want to hit your goals sooner than later, it is essential to listen to your mentors and make the changes they recommend.

9.     You’re not working hard enough. If your goals are big, then your effort has to be huge. You can’t expect to accomplish anything great if you’re not giving 100% each day. You might already be working really hard, but sometimes that little bit extra is what’s needed to push you over the edge.

10. You’re surrounded by the wrong people. If you find yourself regularly associating with naysayers and Negative Nancys, it’s going to inevitably chip away at your morale. When you’ve got big performance goals to hit, you need every ounce of energy and positivity you can get. People tend to emulate the people they spend the most time with -- so choose to spend time with only those who are helping you achieve your goals and not setting you back.

11. Success takes time. Never underestimate the role that time plays in reaching your goals. You need to patiently, but persistently, persevere and trust that if you do the right things, you’ll get where you want to be.

As frustrating as it may be to not have achieved your goals yet, it’s important to remember that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Professional development is a lengthy process, but as soon as you recognize the reasons why you haven’t hit your specific goals and start to make the right changes, you’ll be that much closer to the finish line.

You’ve never dreamt of owning your own business, but that doesn’t mean you don’t fantasize about getting ahead and earning that big corner office. There’s a reason those impassioned entrepreneurs seem to be so good at turning their big dreams into realities: they have an entrepreneurial mindset. They’re confident and driven, and they thrive on the challenges that sometimes keep others from even trying. Embracing and maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset can help you do your job better, allowing you to reach your goals faster, whatever they may be. So, no matter where your career is today, think like someone who rules the world, and someday, you just might.

Here are 10 ways you can think like an entrepreneur to succeed at work:

1. Take Action: Entrepreneurs don’t just talk about the things they want; they go after them. Instead of waiting for fortune to turn your way, find ways to influence what you can in order to encourage the results you want. Being a go getter can help you rise through the ranks faster, and it proves that you’re someone who can be trusted to get a job done.

2. Be Resourceful: Don’t let a limited budget stand in your way. Entrepreneurs find ways to make due and produce incredible results with what they have, and they’re clever about negotiating favors and freebees. Developing skills like these are crucial no matter the job, and finding ways to save the boss money is a great way to earn positive attention from those with the power to help you get ahead.

3. Recognize Opportunities: When entrepreneurs see an opening, they pounce on it. This way of thinking will help you choose the projects that can catapult your career by teaming you up with the right influencers or by demonstrating your ability to take the lead. Paying attention to the opportunities around you could also help you identify the perfect moment to ask for a promotion or a raise.

4. Be Fearless: Don’t let potential obstacles or rejection stop you, and don’t let a “no” scare you off. Entrepreneurs take risks and put themselves out there, which gives them an edge when it comes to sales, pitching ideas, and asking for better tools or more resources. Learning to stand your ground at the negotiating table is a skill that is critical to almost any business transaction.

5. Get Comfortable with Change: Fear of change is something that plagues many professionals, and it can prevent them from taking on new responsibilities, trying for a promotion, or applying for a new job. But don’t let fear of the unknown stop you. Instead, think like an entrepreneur, and decide to thrive on change. Accept being out of your comfort zone as a natural part of growth. Being at ease with uncertainty will empower you to say yes when others say no, helping you find the shortest possible route to success.

6. Love a Challenge: Entrepreneurs think adversity is exciting. Instead of choosing the easy road, point at the highest peak in sight and say, “l’ll conquer that one!” Priding yourself on winning in the face of extreme obstacles can be a major advantage whether you’re an intern, a new business owner, or a department head.

7. Know How to Delegate: Stay focused on the important things, and don’t be afraid to relinquish control to allow others to help lighten your load. Entrepreneurs learn that they must share responsibility and accept help when it’s available.  Embracing collaboration can assist you in meeting deadlines and preventing burnout to keep you at the top of your game.

8. Be a Lifelong Learner: Entrepreneurs constantly strive to be better, smarter, and more efficient. Learn to maintain a student mentality, and your hunger for information will help you shine at work by keeping you up-to-date on industry knowledge, critical technical skills, and relevant news you can apply to help your employer outwit the competition.

9. Think Big: Entrepreneurs set challenging goals and are constantly striving to improve themselves. Even if you never hope to run your own company, aiming high is a great way to discover how much you can achieve. Thinking about the future can be an excellent way to stay motivated. Push yourself to think about where you might like your career to be in a year, five years, and beyond, and you just might surprise yourself.

10.   Trust Your Instincts: Don’t spend a lot of time doubting yourself. Leading entrepreneurs know that negative thinking gets them nowhere. Trust your decisions, and be confident you will figure it out along the way. A great, entrepreneurial attitude will be your secret weapon against self-doubt, and it will help to remind you that you deserve the opportunity to succeed even when others casts doubts on your potential.

Thinking like an entrepreneur keeps you focused on your goals no matter where you are in your career path. It lends purpose to all the hard work you do, allowing you to set aside fear and ego to get the job done. It can help you remember that it will all pay off in the end. Adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, and the only person who will determine how successful you can be is you.

About Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., did decades of research on gifted children and adults and discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. A mindset is either fixed or growth-oriented; if you have a fixed mindset, you believe you have certain innate talents or weaknesses that can’t be changed. On the other hand, if you have a growth mindset, you believe that abilities can be developed through learning and hard work.

Mindset shows how to use a growth mindset to foster great accomplishments in yourself and in your direct reports.

Why Cydcor Recommends This Book

It gives you the opportunity to explore your own mindset: Do you have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset? It also gives you the tools to adopt a growth mindset and avoid the trap of a “false growth mindset.”

Mindset can also help you understand that you’re not necessarily born with certain talents, but they can be learned. Do you think you’re naturally bad at math? Maybe you’ve been told that so many times you believe it. The truth is that it’s possible to learn and excel at any task if you take the time to develop your skills.

A growth mindset can also help you love what you do, increase your sense of success and fulfillment, and even improve your relationships with other people, whether those individuals are your colleagues, your friends, or your family.

Our Favorite Part

In this new edition of Mindset, Dweck introduces the “false growth mindset” and guides people toward adopting a deeper, truer growth mindset. Cydcor encourages its employees to adopt a growth mindset and break out of self-limiting thought patterns.

This is a great read for managers and mentors because it expands the mindset concept beyond the individual to corporate culture and other groups. This crucial update will help supervisors to motivate those they lead, and to transform their lives at work and at home.

Mindset is well organized and easy to read. It’s serious but provides practical information on how to cultivate a growth mindset.

Our team members are continually reminded to improve their professional development and keep growing. Learn how you can join the Cydcor team on CareerBuilder!

We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.