This Year Will Be Different
And so, it goes…with the start of every new year, people identify goals they want to achieve for the coming year. For some whose goals are fairly similar to the prior year’s resolution, there’s this sense of, “This year is going to be different!” I hate to admit it, but I fell into the camp of this line of thinking. But for some reason I knew in my core, that this year is going to be different.
Back Story. One thing I did to make sure I stayed on track was buy a calendar. You ask how a calendar is going to make a difference? Well, this isn’t your typical calendar. It has a monthly view, a weekly view, and a section where you write down what your goals are and what actions you need to take to achieve those goals. The goals section allows you to track your progress for the month. You simply place a check in the box for each day you complete the task. There’s also a gratitude section, which I LOVE. I strongly believe that when you live a life of gratitude, your perception of what you have and the way you view people in your lives begins to change.
One of my goals is to read a book every month. By the way I am not counting audibles 😊 To achieve this goal, I set a task to read every day for 10 minutes. And though, at the time of this post we’re a month into the new year, I’ve found the calendar to be a great accountabilibuddy partner as I have only missed two days and am on track to finish my book for the month.
The advice that people often give when it comes to goal setting is you need to:
1. Identify what your goals are.
2. Write them down.
3. Find the tasks that you need to complete to help you achieve those goals.
4. Write them down.
5. Create milestones to reach along the way.
6. Write them down.
7. Celebrate when you reach the milestone. It can be a spa day, a cute outfit, a nice dinner out, etc. You decide. Just make sure you celebrate!
The idea is to keep the excitement and motivation in your journey, especially if it’s a goal that will take months to accomplish. Last year, I was very determined to hit my goals. I thought I followed the steps listed above. But when I look back (and got honest with myself), I never wrote the steps down. I only recognized them in my mind. ☹ It’s funny what your mind remembers. It’s only when you consciously go back to the time when you set those goals that you realize, “Yeah. I didn’t do that!” Out the gate, many of us start out strong, full of energy and conviction. But unless we commit to those foundational steps listed above, we fall short.
For those of you who work, when you are given a project to complete, there’s typically an end date or deadline for when the project must be completed. What do you do to ensure that you stay on track, stay within budget, and complete the project within the timeframe that you’re given? To start, here are some things I would do.
· Identify what tasks need to be completed.
· Identify who needs to be on the team.
· Determine if tasks can be completed in parallel or does one need to finish before the other can begin.
· Create a communication plan (for the team as well as for the Sponsor).
· Have team meetings.
· Have contingencies in place (a backup plan if we hit a snag along the way).
· Know what the budget is.
For our moms with children. Do you get up in the morning whenever you want? Decide whether you’re going to make breakfast that day? Figure out how the kids will get to school that day? Or do you set a daily schedule?
· The night before:
o Kids get bookbags ready and place by the front door.
o Pack lunches.
o Decide what you’ll make for breakfast.
o Set alarm.
· Alarm goes off.
· Get kids up.
· Make breakfast.
· Kids missed the bus.
· Drive kids to school.
And for those of us who don’t have children or your children are grown. What does your day look like? Do you wake up and decide how your day will go that morning. Or do you do some level of planning to ensure you stay on track?
If we create schedules, in our workplace and at home, to ensure order and stability, why don’t we apply these same principles to goal setting? We may have discipline, self-control and be steadfast as we set out on our journey to achieve our goals, but I know, with certainty, that unless I:
· Write my goals.
· Write the tasks I need to achieve my goals.
· Set small milestones.
· Celebrate the small wins.
· Have contingencies in place.
I will fall short. My calendar hangs in my office. I put it there because I go into my office every day which allows me to see the progress I am making. If I don’t check those boxes, I don’t reach my goal. I can see the effort and attention that I am giving each task. I can see the tasks I have no problem doing and those that I struggle with. It’s clear which tasks I am making strides in and those that I am falling short. A beautiful thing happens though as more and more of those boxes are checked. Not only can I see the progress I am making, but a sense of accomplishment overcomes me…which pushes me to do more.
While setting a schedule plays a HUGE part in the goal-setting / achieving your goals equation, I do believe there is another component that is equally as important and that is your mindset and attitude. Be sure to check out next week’s blog as I talk about the role that mindset and attitude play in achieving your goals.
““Trust yourself that you can do it and get it.” ”
