“Leaders aren't born; they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” - Vince Lombardi
Welcome to 2020! It’s that time of year when conversations are dominated by goal setting, resolutions, and planning for the year ahead. Many of us consider changing our fitness habits or growing our business, but few follow through. To reach our goals, we need to purposefully consider what we want and why before creating a plan to execute, track progress, and reflect along the way. It’s never too late to set a vision for the future, so let’s dive in.
Transparently, I’ve been through a journey with the idea of goal setting. Though I was successful both academically and athletically in high school and college, I thought the concept of setting goals was cliché, and I didn’t appreciate feeling pressured to conform. When I worked in the nonprofit world, goals took on a new meaning for me. Our staff was given annual and monthly targets, and we spent significant time tracking quantitative progress. Though I still didn’t love having measures of success given to me, I recognized the need to work towards thoughtful goals and pushed myself to achieve them.
When I became an entrepreneur, I synthesized what I learned during my academic and professional career to create my own goal-setting process that I wholeheartedly embrace. Developing a process that is tailored to my working style and motivations drives my focus, provides a way to track progress, and compels me to reflect on what I accomplish throughout the year.
The first step that I take when goal setting is to envision what I want in the big picture. How do I envision my life overall, including outside of work? What type of work do I want to do, and I what do I want to learn this year? Additionally, I set a revenue goal that provides a range, from meeting my basic needs to a stretch income target. Whether you run your own business or work for an organization, pause to ask yourself what you would want to accomplish without the barriers of money, fear, and doubt.
As you work through the process, capture your goals in writing or on your device, and organize them into categories. I create my goals with some initial categories (what I earn, what I learn, fitness, and fun), and I remain open to adding a few groups if additional trends emerge. Once you have a holistic vision of what you want to achieve, reframe your goals so they are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound). This quick reflection allows me to be realistic about what I can accomplish in a given time frame.
Next, think about why you want to achieve your goals, as each of us finds motivation in different ways. Some folks are motivated by other people. This might look like a drive to achieve along with a team, to make others proud, or to compete against external measurements or competitors. Some people are motivated by a vision for the future. This could be a desire to achieve a certain lifestyle, to provide for family, or to have a significant impact in your chosen line of work. On the flip side, consider what would happen if you didn’t reach your goals, as the fear of discomfort could provide motivation. When you determine your motivators, write those alongside your goals. Referring back to your personal motivators can spark momentum when you encounter adversity or a lull during the year.
To lock in your goals, make them highly visible and establish a way to regularly track progress. Add your goals to your calendar, bookmark them in a document, and/or post them in your workspace. I keep my path to success and target completion dates in a Google Sheet. To ensure that I revisit this document regularly, I schedule a recurring time on my calendar to reflect on progress and make adjustments each week.
A final effective strategy to accomplishing goals is to connect with an accountability partner or coach. Talk with someone you trust about what success looks like for you, and agree on how they can hold you accountable towards progress. To level up, collaborate with a coach to provide specialized support. Coaches work alongside us to create a purposeful vision for the future, persist through obstacles, and point us towards additional resources using their expertise. Partnering with a coach changed my life, which you can read more about here.
For support in any part of the process of setting or working towards your goals, contact me. I would love to collaborate with you as you strive towards success!
Your Teammate,
Katie