Feeling Behind on Your Goal? – Donnielle Carter

“It’s not working.” Three words we say when results don’t match the number we have in our heads.
You started the workout routine, the savings plan, the new program, and a few weeks in, the results aren’t where you expected. So the conclusion arrives fast: this isn’t working, time to change it up. Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes the only thing off is the timeline you started with.
In this episode of The Exploration of Wonder, Donnielle Carter explores the invisible middle, the part of every goal nobody posts about, and shares practical ways to tell the difference between “not working” and “not yet,” so you decide from what’s actually happening instead of how you feel about the pace. And yes, hope has a place here, the kind that’s attached to action and honest about what you see.
5 Key Takeaways
• Not working and not working yet are two different things. When results don’t appear as quickly as expected, it doesn’t automatically mean your goal, project, or approach is failing.
• Question the timeline before questioning your progress. Many expectations come from personal desires, assumptions, or social media rather than realistic timelines based on actual experience.
• Constantly changing direction can prevent success. Reacting to slow results by repeatedly switching plans resets your progress and prevents you from gathering enough information to know what is working.
• The middle is where real progress happens. Between the excitement of starting and the satisfaction of finishing are consistent actions, developing habits, and meaningful improvements that deserve recognition.
• Hope must be supported by action and honest evaluation. Establish realistic timelines, track consistent actions and early signs of progress, and set a review date before deciding whether to continue or make adjustments.