Happiest of holidays, and New Year to you all and all of your loved ones!
At the time of this writing, we’ve just closed out the year and stepped into a new one. In fact, if you look back just a day or two, you can still see the threshold.
Last year was full of stressors and excitement, laughter and struggles, successes and failures. Humanity as a whole has built relationships, struggled with finances, built careers, pushed for change and became more aware of the need for self care.
We’ve had a global pandemic, seen a huge antiracism movement take off, watched political turmoil unfold, and it just keeps coming. It’s amazing that any of us are still standing on our feet!
Pause, Reflect, Learn, Grow
It’s important in the face of all this… LIFE… that we pause, reflect, learn, assess and set goals for the next year so we can continue to grow.
Over the past month, we’ve talked about
celebrating your successes, and shared some of the benefits of doing so. We’ve also talked about
celebrating your failures or “failing forward”, and why this is so important in personal and professional growth. Finally, we shared the importance for leadership to take honest self-assessments, the benefits, and some tips to get started.
All the above is to get your mind set for the final part of your year-end review: goal setting.
The start of a fresh year is when most people make resolutions and proactive choices about shaping their lives. Whether you are a resolution-making person or not, this is also an ideal time to determine your goals for the following year.
Resolutions can often be foggy, however. For example, “I’m going to quit smoking and get healthy this year!” is a common New Year’s resolution, but most individuals stop right there.
Unlike a resolution, goal setting is more active, giving you a firm hand in shaping your future. How are you going to get healthy? What are you going to do differently to be able to quit smoking? What habits will you use to replace the ones you’re getting rid of?
If you are looking for the next steps in your career or hoping for a complete change, setting goals is the most surefire way to get there.
What is Goal Setting?
When you think about your career, do you envision yourself in the same role a few years from now? Likely not. Most employees don’t stay in the same position for their entire working lives. Instead, they may get promotions, take sideways journeys, or even switch careers.
Whether you know exactly where you would like your career path to lead you, setting some career goals is helpful. A career goal leads you along a track or endpoint you would like for your job. Consider it a target to aim for.
The goals you set can be tiny or enormous; organizing your calendar or becoming CEO are equally valid and admirable goals. Likewise, your goal can be a sensible next step or a giant leap into another profession entirely.
Setting a goal is taking the first step in personal and professional growth. Your goals should be challenging ( you need to work for them) but realistic and achievable. Most importantly, your goals should be something you actively want to pursue, not something you think you should want. Finally, your goals are your own; they only make sense if they’re for you, not other people.
Short-term vs. Long-term Goals
Your long-term goal doesn’t have to be the final stop on your career path, but it’s one that takes a long time and a lot of man-hours (or woman-hours) to achieve. These are the goals that don’t just happen by chance or fall into your lap; you need to work and plan for them.
Perhaps you already have that long-term goal on tap. You know the one – that dream position you’ve always secretly wanted to pursue. But how can you get there?
Your long-term goals are more accessible when you break them down into a series of steps; turn them into smaller, short-term goals. Short-term goals can take anywhere from six months to three years.
Break goals down into small bites. It’s like the joke: how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!
Your chances of success at meeting a goal are greater when it’s a manageable size. When you break your large goal into smaller milestones, you wind up with two results each time you hit one of the markers.
- You’ve achieved a goal! Yay for you; you get to check that box off.
- You can measure your progress. How many wins do you now have behind you, and how many more lie ahead?
Why Goal Setting is Important
Goals are a roadmap for your future. Without one, you could end up far from where you hoped to be. Setting goals gives you control over your life; it’s less subject to outside forces.
Motivation
One of the most significant boosts that goal setting provides is giving you encouragement. It can sometimes be challenging to push yourself to do your best work. Some days, or even weeks or months, can be hard, and you may get the urge to check out or go on autopilot.
But having a goal to work towards is essential to keep you inspired and productive. We all get the urge to sink into complacency from time to time, but your goal reminds you why you shouldn’t do that.
Avoid Distraction
Without a goal, it’s easy to get sidetracked. You may lose focus on your path and get involved in projects or other prospects that don’t align with where you ultimately want to end up.
When a new opportunity presents itself, ask yourself if it gets you closer to your goal. Conversely, does it take you farther away from it? Setting goals helps you determine which opportunities are best for you, so you don’t waste time and energy on areas that won’t ultimately benefit you.
Send a Message
Others can sense your ambition when you have a goal to focus on. Your center of attention is distinct; higher-ups pick up on that. When the people around you and above you are aware that you are goal-oriented, they’re more likely to take a positive view of you.
It makes you a valuable asset because they know you’re motivated and will work hard. Of course, that’s valuable to any organization, and managers and business leaders will want to help you achieve your goals. After all, having a strong and determined employee on board could benefit their business.
Tips to Stay Goal Focused
- Be proactive.
Set your goal for yourself before anybody asks you what goals you have. It isn't really for yourself when you’re put on the spot to think up a goal. It’s for another person’s benefit. However, your goal will mean more to you if it’s from the heart. So, plot it out; then you’ll not only be ready with an answer if somebody inquires about goals, but you’ll know they are true to what you want.
- Write it out.
Putting your goal in writing makes it feel concrete. Place it where you can see it daily as a reminder to keep you motivated. This keeps your steps visible, too, helping you stay on track.
- Let others in.
Create some accountability for yourself. It can be helpful to have the gentle pressure of another person monitoring your progress. Besides, it’s always nice to have a cheerleader on your side, encouraging you if you begin to lose steam.
- Visualize.
Paint a detailed picture in your mind to help your goal feel natural to you. This way, you can clearly see your plan and the steps you need to take to achieve it. It’s excellent motivation to want to work toward that image in your head.
- Be flexible.
Don’t get discouraged if you need to reassess your goal from time to time. Life happens, and outside forces sometimes interfere. If you need to adjust your timeline, it isn’t the end of the world. Don’t let small obstacles get you down; don’t give up; just realign.
Dream Forward: An Excercise in Setting Goals
Imagine yourself a year from now. What does your life look like? Write a specific list of all your:
- Wins
- Gains
- Breakthroughs
- Triumphs
- Accomplishments
- Changes
- Growth
- Learning
You might even write a letter from your future self a year from now to you now, or to a dear friend. Share what has happened since today, and what you’ve accomplished. Talk about how proud you are of the obstacles you overcame. Share what makes the success of this year matter so much.
This person talking to you is where you want to be in a year. The exercise can help you be more conscious of where you want to be in a year and the steps you need to take to achieve your goals.
As you finalize your goals, think about the following questions:
- What conversations need to happen?
- What obstacles need to be overcome?
- What actions must be taken?
- What help do you need from others?
Consider what is needed to close the gap between where you are today and where you want to be.
Wrapping Up
Sometimes, happy accidents happen in our lives, and we find ourselves in a position that is completely unexpected but entirely welcome. Those events are rare, though. That’s why it’s critical to have goals to work toward, so we don’t look back years later and wonder why we aren’t doing as well as we’d hoped.
Goals are essential because they keep us motivated, prevent us from heading too far off track, and signal to others that we are serious about advancement. So, we want to hear from you – what are your goals for the upcoming year?
