3 minutes
Set realistic goals to make significant progress this year.
Credit Union Management’s online-only “NextGen Know-How” column runs the second Wednesday of the month.
Happy New Year!
Only 8 percent of people achieve their new year resolutions. Is it even worth setting goals? I believe the answer is yes. There is a way to set realistic goals and make significant progress in the new year.
Like many people, I take time to reflect and make commitments for the fresh new year. I believe in setting goals and improving and, over the years, I have enhanced and changed my process for creating "resolutions." I've figured out what works for achieving my goals and, most importantly, what doesn't. I don't believe there is one formula for making changes; each person is different and will respond differently. So, find what works best for you and stick to that!
Here are the lessons I have learned for achieving new year goals:
Lesson 1: Less is More
I used to make a laundry list of goals for the new year: Learn Italian, improve piano playing skills, exercise more, etc. You get the picture. What I found is that when I set too many "stretch goals," I become overwhelmed and just give up. I end up feeling worse about myself because I failed to achieve the goals I set.
A few years ago, I started taking time to imagine my ideal life. What would the ideal look like in health, relationships and business? I keep my goals realistic. I really take time to think through what resources and time I have and I focus on making progress instead of achieving a list. I would rather make significant progress on three goals than very little progress on 10 goals. I have learned how much I am capable of taking on and create my goals accordingly. This creates freedom. Rather than being chained to a list, I work on making incremental progress.
Lesson 2: Measure Each Day
I find small steps lead to bigger progress for me. I switched from setting weekly goals to setting daily goals. I take the ideal life I envisioned and think about ways I can close the gap. I focus on making an impact in this day. Focusing on today takes the sense of overwhelming and judgment away and gives me permission to make choices that feel good now. Inevitably, I end up succeeding with more of my goals when I focus on today. At the end of the year, if I can look back and see progress from the year before, to me that is success. The compound effect is very powerful.
Lesson 3: Focus on the Being, not the Doing
I am a doer. I love lists and crossing things off. I love the feeling of accomplishment. But when I focus on checking things off, I often lose the intention of my goal. For example, for years I have wanted to incorporate meditation into my ritual. I read books on meditation and tried to meditate, and my mind was racing. I was trying too hard to "do" meditation correctly. I often found myself wanting to check it off my list rather than get the full experience and benefits. And that's just pointless. This past year, I focused instead on the "being." The purpose of meditation is to clear and quiet your mind. So, I sat quietly with music, closed my eyes and kept quiet. I am not great at it, but I get benefit from it, and I am improving over time.
What has worked for you when setting goals? What will you do this year to enhance your leadership? I'd love to hear your comments below.
Wishing you an awesome 2014!
Laurie J. Maddalena, MBA, CPCC, PHR, is a certified executive coach, consultant and founder of Envision Excellence, LLC, Rockville, Md. She was also an HR executive at a $450 million credit union. Contact her at 240.605.7940 or lmaddalena@envisionexcellence.net.
