I love this time of year. It is a time to reflect, evaluate, and commit to being a better father, husband, friend, employee… or whatever is most important to you. This commitment is shown through the setting and achievement of goals related to our deepest desires. Unfortunately, many of us allow old routines and comforts to get in the way of creating meaningful change. The objective of this post is to provide guidance on how to have the best shot at fulfilling your 2017 New Year’s Resolutions/Goals.
Know what you REALLY want!
Purpose is the foundation of everything we do. Clarity in who we are, what we want, and where we are going provides the required motivation to accomplish meaningful goals. The fulfillment of our identified purpose is what will empower the realization of our personal, family, and organizational goals. The speed and energy with which we execute goals come from the power of our purpose. Without a clear and meaningful purpose our efforts for progress and change will decrease and fade (as many have experienced year after year). Know what you really want from life and set goals that align with these deeper desires.
Wheel of Life
One of the most effective ways to identify what goals one should set is by completing the Wheel of Life exercise. This quick and simple exercise will help identify your satisfaction level in eight different areas of life. Once complete, you will be aware and ready to set goals that are most relevant to your well being.
Be Clear On Why You Want That Goal
If your goals are simply something you “should” do and others expect it from you then you will not get far. If there is not a pure “why” that motivates and inspires then set another goal. Set a goal that does motivate and inspire. Change and progress occur when our goals align with our core values. Core values are the deeply held beliefs we strive to live. What are your core values? Once you gain clarity on your core then knowing what goals to set becomes much easier and the likelihood that you will achieve increases significantly.
Let us take a common goal of, say, losing weight. Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to look good for your honey? Is it to get a honey? Are you overweight and lack self confidence and, as a result, want to lose weight to increase how you feel when with others? Is a healthy lifestyle an important value to you and, according to the charts, you are overweight and at risk for some disease or condition? Be sure you know exactly why you want to achieve the goal. Knowing why provides motivation to sacrifice for its realization.
Avoid “All or Nothing” Mentality
We are human and, as a result, are not perfect. We are not going to achieve all our goals all of the time. Unfortunately, our imperfection causes us to get down on ourselves and give up. We set goals to progress in ways that are meaningful to us. If we are taking steps in that direction then we are fulfilling our “why”. Therefore, establishing and accepting different levels of achievement will encourage the positive habit or behavior to continue.
For example, an hour at the gym five days a week is ideal, four days a week is acceptable, and three days a week is our minimum. All are better than nothing. Give yourself flexibility in your accomplishments and this will allow for sustained positive action.
Set SMART Goals
Most of us have heard of the SMART acronym guide to setting goals. Here is a reminder on how to set SMART goals:
Specific – What is the goal? How often will it take place? Where will it take place? When will it take place?
Measurable – Can the goal be measured? We need to know if we have achieved it or not. This will give us specific feedback and hold us accountable.
Attainable – Is the activity and time frame realistic for the goal we have established?
Relevant – Is this goal consistent with our purpose and mission statement? Does it bring us closer to where we want to be?
Timely – Specify the time in which the goal will be achieved. Is it a regularly occurring goal that is to be accomplished weekly? Is it a one and done activity that has a clear beginning and end? Ensure you specify a time frame in which it will be completed.
Tracking Required
I have been at this goal setting endeavor for 10+ years now. Through experience I have developed and iterated a Goal Setting Tracker that organizes goals into eight different life areas (consistent with the Wheel of Life). The spreadsheet tracks goals on a weekly, quarterly, and annual basis. All the user has to do is input results from the week and the summations for the quarter. Weekly, quarterly and annual progress are then automatically populated. Check out the Goal Setting Video to see how it works.
I will close with one of my all-time favorite quotes: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb.
Do now what you wish you did five, ten, or fifteen years ago. Have a great 2017!
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