Being a school mum has its advantages. One: I’m always conscious of term dates, term breaks, and everything in between.

This week marks the final week of the Term 3 break, and a quick calculation told me there’s only 96 days left to 2016.

Less than 100 days to make the year count.

Which is a good time to ask you: where are you in your professional life? Have you accomplished the goals you set for yourself, and if not, what needs to be done to get there?

This is not about self-blame or feeling guilty, because ALL of us have at some point taken our eyes off the prize and gotten distracted by something else that seemed more interesting, enticing or “right” at the time. It could be a perfectly credible program that promises to teach us how to get new clients, or earn an extra thousand dollars on the side, or how to start a freelance business using your gifts and talents.

The problem lies not in the programs and opportunities themselves – many of them are valid and based on proven principles and case studies. It’s in the cost to and impact on the goals we’ve set ourselves, that we said we would commit to achieving.

We are women, but we are also spouses, partners, mums, and professionals juggling businesses and careers. We have different temperaments, energy levels, and health situations. Each time we choose to focus our time and energy on one thing, something else has to take a back seat.

In Swanston St, Melbourne, horse-drawn carriages are a common tourist attraction. If you look closely, you will notice that the horses have blinders on their heads. The blinders are there to keep them from getting spooked or distracted by what’s behind the carriage, because horses are prey animals, and they use their peripheral vision to keep an eye out for predators and other dangers.

You and I have peripheral vision that works probably a bit too well at times, by luring us off the path into side explorations and detours where we get all excited and enthusiastic about yet another new program or opportunity (“This is it! This is what I’m missing!”), and forget to be diligent and disciplined with what we are already doing.

If you sense yourself getting pulled in many directions and losing energy and momentum, it’s time to put your blinders on. Break down the steps and actions you need to take, and stick to them until you’ve done them. Keep your eyes on what is ahead, and press on towards your prize, be it a new career that is more in tune with your spiritual values and beliefs, or a new business venture that will give you the freedom to work around your family commitments.

Know what you want, and stay the course. And above all, remember WHY all this matters.

P.S. If you have trouble doing this, enlist an accountability buddy. Make sure it’s someone who shares your values and vision and aspirations, who is serious about achieving goals and making progress, and who won’t let you get away with playing at less than your 100%.

If you don’t have anyone who fits this profile or who is willing to buddy up on an equal footing, why not consider my Accountability Program for Serious Professionals. You will receive weekly, fortnightly and monthly check-ins and coaching calls to make sure you stay on track and don’t lose sight of your important goals. Lack of accountability and support is in my experience THE biggest reason why people fail to achieve their goals, and I don’t want you to be another instance of “I had all these good intentions but…” You are here for a purpose, and your goals and aspirations matter.

For more info about the program, email me at careerchangeconfidence@gmail.com.