2021!!!
A new year filled with new possibilities, new hopes, and for many of us, new goals.
Like many of you, I’ve set goals on January 1st in years past that ‘didn’t take', goals that were so big that they got lost in the day to day, or goals that were so broad or vague that I just didn’t know where to start.
When we set goals for ourselves we need to make sure we are setting good ones…ones that will take us to a new level, and goals that are in line with our values and our ‘goal’ for who we want to be. We want to set goals that are achievable, and we want to set goals that include specific action steps that are so clear that we know exactly what we need to do.
Setting bad goals is worse than setting no goals at all!
If we set a ‘bad’ goal, one that is vague, too big, not realistic, or doesn’t fit into the person that we are, we will be discouraged, dissuaded, and disinterested in the things we should be doing, and in turn will become de-motivated, and potentially depressed and distraught. The right goals will move us forward, keep us motivated, and help us achieve our potential, the wrong goals can cause significant harm.
When working with my clients I like to keep goal setting simple. I compare goals to a ladder, we can’t get to the top without climbing each step. Skipping a step may work sometimes, but we may also fall on our face…so why take the chance!
I also like to use SMART goals as a guiding tool, these goals address many important components that will help us to be successful.
These goals are:
Specific – So specific that we know exactly what we need to do e ach day to help us move towards them.
Measurable – We need to know when we make progress so we get that good feeling which pushes us to keep going!
Action Oriented – What are the specific (I like that word) things we are going to do each day (wake up 30 minutes earlier, read 10 pages, write 5 pages, attend a workshop in January, etc.) to move forward towards our goals.
Realistic – If it’s not possible it is going to de-motivate instead of motivate us. I’m not saying the goal should be hard, it should, but it should be realistic! We want to set challenging goals as those are the ones that will drive us to be our best self, but challenging and unachievable are two different things!
Time Constrained – What’s our timeline? Not just for the top rung of the ladder, but for each individual step. I can’t stress this enough, we want to know each day what we need to do to move towards our goal, and we need to use effective time management strategies to make that happen!
I encourage you to set a goal for yourself to watch and learn from a Dose of Leadership each week. As one of my goals for 2021 is building my network, I'll take my first step for 2021 and ask you to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and I'll also ask if you could share my channel, as well as this post, with anyone you think could benefit from some leadership!
I’m always available to work one on one with you to set and achieve your goals, and would love to help you and your team to make 2021 one with lots of positive accomplishments. If you're interested, reach out and we can discuss your plan for success!
Have a very Happy New Year, and Keep Leading!
HF