Before we talk about what’s holding us back from achieving our goals, let’s look at how we are defining our required effort for success and at which level we are currently operating from.

First of all, there are four levels of action. Did you know that only one is really going to help you create any results?

• The first level is easy to understand. There is no action or effort, or you’re operating at zero percent.
• The second one is similar, but rather, you retreat even further away from putting in any effort.
• The third level is average. This level of action is the most dangerous of all because you’re convinced that you’re doing something, but doing just enough is NOT good enough to generate the result.

We’re almost over-optimistic with the amount of effort required, so most of us are putting out an average amount of action.

• And the winner is… operating at the ultimate level: taking massive amounts of action — which is going to get you what you want.

Secondly, if you want to hit your goals, you simply cannot think in terms of creating balance or managing time. Expecting to have balance while trying to achieve a particular goal is unrealistic. To have more balance and reach your full potential, you cannot sacrifice family time for work. It’s all about making time for the most important things in your life. When you’re in that place, then you can create balance.

Let me give you an example of what I’m trying to convey here. I only take clients the first three weeks of the month, and take the last week off to recharge and be with my family. That means I work much more in the first three weeks and don’t usually spend as much time with my kids; however, the last week of the month is all about self-care and family. So, you see, it’s not ‘balanced’ or exactly even, but I create time for what matters most.

If you want to become more successful, you must think in terms of areas of life and business; and in which area are you limiting yourself. Decide on the area you want to focus on and create a plan to achieve it.

It starts with your commitment to success and your ability to create time rather than controlling time. We all have 24 hours in a day. What you choose to do with the hours determines your ultimate success. Below are the five steps you can take to ensure you achieve your goals.

1. Set Your Priorities

Again, what matters most to you? No one can do this for you, and I know everyone’s priorities are different, but if success is a goal for you, then I would suggest you spend the greatest amount of your time doing things that will actually create results.

Your areas of improvement may involve any variety of things: finances, family, happiness, spirituality, physical or emotional wellbeing — or if you’re like me, all of them. Remember, you can be successful in all areas of your life.

2. Count on Your Community

You cannot succeed without a community behind you — your family, your friends, your colleagues, your neighbors, your employees — being all-in for your success.

Ask for help and allow your community to support you. This could be as simple as asking for a recommendation of a trustworthy nanny to asking for business referrals. Keep in mind that your friends and family want to support you.

3. Track Your Progress

You must track how you spend your time and your progress on a daily, weekly and monthly basis at the least. Although everyone knows about this time-keeping concept, most have no idea how they are spending their time. Those same people usually complain about how they don’t have enough time to do everything. If you don’t know how much time you have — or need or want — how can you expect to control it?

Take inventory of your time by writing in a journal or using an electronic calendar. It will help you see all the ways in which you waste your time, if you are, and what you are wasting your time doing. Any activities that are not contributing to your success or getting you closer to your goals are a waste of time. Any action that isn’t adding fuel to the fire — things like watching TV, Netflix, napping, drinking, partying — if you don’t control your time, you will unconsciously waste it.

4. Schedule Your Priorities

It’s one thing to set your priorities, but it’s even more important to schedule these priorities into your calendar.

When I had my second child, I knew I needed more time for them and for myself; hence, I would get up an hour earlier every day. This gives me quality time for my morning routine so I can be ahead of schedule for the kids before they get up. That means I have to discipline myself to get to bed early to ensure I get adequate sleep to function at my peak level.

Another non-negotiable priority is my workout regimen. That is scheduled on my calendar; even the showers I take after each session. You want to be a fanatic with your time. Only then can you know if you’re using your time wisely, instead of wasting it on nonsense.

Without an agenda, you can be pulled in all sorts of directions. My schedule works because everyone in my life — from my husband to my mom to my staff — knows what is most important to me. They understand how I value time. This structure allows us to handle everything else that comes our way. So, when I’m off from work, I can completely disconnect. And that is freedom.

5. Optimize Your Time

The most successful people in the world have the same 24 hours, 1,440 minutes in a day as everyone else. The most educated people in the world have the same 168 hours a week to learn. The greatest athletes in the world have the same 365 days a year to train.

How much time do you have?

You have the same amount of time as me, as your neighbor, as Bill Gates, as Donald Trump. The only way to increase time is to be more productive and get more done in the time you have.

You have heard of the expression: “time is money.” What does it mean to you? How are you currently treating your time? I suggest you think about it carefully and ask yourself if you are actually doing the most important things with your time.

One way to optimize your time is to simply look for ways to be more productive. Consider doing this in every area of your life, because everything is interconnected. If one area is lacking, then chances are it’s pulling the rest down like a tiny leak in a boat.

Here’s a clear comparison: Person A can make 10 phone calls in 10 minutes, and Person B can make 10 calls in 60 minutes. Person A is clearly six times more productive than Person B. This person has the potential to earn six times the amount of money as the other person.

This is an example of treating time as money. Your time is priceless.

There you have it. These are the five reasons why you’re not meeting your goals, especially if you’re not using your time wisely or taking massive action.