It’s obviously not uncommon to start a new year with fresh resolutions. If we call them goals, intentions or whatever you please, there are things we can do to stack the deck in our favor for success.
I’m sure all of you are familiar with SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These are great principles but maybe like many people, you try to stick with this and still find you aren’t meeting your goals each year.
Try this approach.
Limit your goals. You can always set new ones later in the year - resolutions and goals aren’t only for January 1st! Pick one, or a couple, that feel timely and relevant to your life. Limiting the scope of what you want to go after actually increases your chance of success.
Tell someone. Announcing goals gives us accountability and a little bit of social pressure if we need it. Get other people to share their goals too so we can all improve together.
Break your goal into small steps. Decide ONE thing you can do to move you towards your goal. Then do it. Then pick another small step and do that.
Repeat. It may sound boring but you’ll be surprised how far small and consistent effort can take you.
Adapt. Often we get stuck in rigid thinking about the one way or the “right way” to achieve something. Be open minded to alternatives and be ready to adjust your course if necessary. We’ve certainly all learned a lot about flexibility and adaptability over the last couple of years!
If you don’t know where to start with making a resolution, try our approach. We have “challenges” that we run for employees every quarter. We ask them to identify one goal and be focused achieving it for three months. We have four categories. Personal growth, professional development, charity, and health.
Professional development may be learning a new skill or reading a business book that’s been recommended to you time and again. Personal growth might be sleeping more or simplifying an aspect of your life or taking control of your finances. You get the idea.
We’d love to hear your resolutions.