Long-term projects. Could you use some tips to help finish that project you started with gusto, which is currently lagging?
If you hit a roadblock (or two, or three) what are they—and does your team have ideas for overcoming those hurdles? Decide ahead of time how you will handle issues when they come up. Planning will prevent panic and help people stay on track.
Do you like to revisit your goals in the fall? I do! Fall is a perfect time to recommit to your goals for the year.
It’s a great time for renewal. The heat dissipates and fades into crisp fall weather, giving me a burst of energy.
When my main job was a work-at-home Mom, I had more leisure time. I often would watch Anne of Green Gables in September with my children.
I agree with her sentiment:
“Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it yet.”
~L.M. Montgomery.
Do you feel the same way about fall and revisiting goals left unfinished?
I’ll help you out with those goals. Today I’ll share best practices for getting back on track with your goals—business or personal ones.
In January, I posted about SMART goals. Following the SMART formula works for many people like you and me.
I like to read over my goals at the beginning of each month and track my progress in each. Sometimes I am doing great, and other times I have dropped the ball or abandoned a goal or two.
I want to notice my gut reaction as I read through my goals. What ones am I most excited about? What ones cause an apathetic (lukewarm or tepid) or even guilty response? To try this yourself, look at your goals and jot down your primary response to each one.
Now is a great time to follow my call to action: take time to revisit your goals and recommit!
Which goal will you focus on first? This would be the one you’re most excited about at this time. Which goal is second priority, third priority, and so on.
When you set out on this yearly journey and created these goals, your mindset and ambitions may have been different. Also, some things may have changed at work or in your personal life. Consequently, you may decide to pick a different priority one goal.
For example, if you received a well-deserved promotion to a different position with more responsibility, the goals you had for your former post would be obsolete. You would need to create a new set of goals that correspond to your new job.
And personal goals would alter if a major change like having a baby or becoming empty nesters is your new normal. If you had a baby, (or are a new dad), the goal of blogging or writing 1 hour a day is unrealistic. For empty nesters, the goal of traveling once a month is now totally possible.
If you broke it into milestones, are you at milestone 3, for example?
Note how many milestones or steps you have left in your goal. It’s time to plan.
Then, take a few minutes to look at the next steps for your goals. When could you reasonably accomplish each step? If you are fond of a structured approach, you could even sketch out a timeline at this point.
Take into account how long each step would take, the time you have to work on your goal, and any resources you’ll need. Other people may be willing to help you, but they may not be available right away, for example. Factor that in when you create your timeline.
Say you are working on some professional development classes to further your career. When will you finish your current class? Also, do you need a break between classes? Be aware that in college programs, some classes are only available either fall or winter semester. It’s wise to check on class availability.
What motivated you to create that goal or objective in the first place? Better pay, more recognition, a promotion, personal peace of mind, or health?
What drives you now? Which goal are you most excited about?
I firmly believe that each of us will be more successful when we focus on some goal or objective we are passionate about. I don’t believe in forcing myself to accomplish something I’m no longer motivated to do.
That being said, I am my own boss and I set the direction for my company. When you have a manager or boss running the show, you do need to accomplish the tasks and projects they set out for you. In a perfect world, your passion and your profession intersect.
This is related to point #3. What resources do you need? Education, money, a mentor, experts within your company, time, and passion may play a part in reaching the objectives you’ve set.
Planning the steps in detail takes some time and thought. In fact, I’ve found it’s best, if your company permits it, to go off-site, turn off your phone and email notifications, and do a planning deep dive.
I know one company where the top admins go offsite for a planning session once a quarter. They see a huge benefit from this. (Company leaders are often the people who get interrupted the most onsite.)
The GM and her leadership team return with renewed enthusiasm for their projects and plans.
This is something I don’t always do. I just smile, give myself a nod, and fall into an exhausted heap. Just kidding!
When I finish something big, I do celebrate. I did a happy dance the moment I opened that cardboard box and gazed on my book Get Organized Quick!
It’s healthy to celebrate your achievements; when you work hard, you deserve it!
Each of us have individual ways we celebrate; choose the reward that appeals to you. 😉
Remember my call to action? I’ll add one thing to it.
Take time to revisit your goals and attack the ones that excite you with renewed vigor.
What did you learn from this blog? I’d love to hear your comments here or on Facebook or LinkedIn.
This spring, I wasn’t in tip-top shape. Even though I exercise 3x a week at the gym, I lacked stamina. So, when the trail dried out enough, Frank and I started hiking Dollar Mountain, a short walk from our home. I knew it would take conditioning to reach my ultimate goal: to reach the tower, about 3 miles round trip.
Now, a short walk sounds deceptively easy, but the walk TO the hill is one of the toughest parts. It resembles a ski slope in steepness.
So, I started small.
That first day, I huffed and puffed along the way. I have trained my dog Bella to pull me up the hill, which helped. (No, that’s not cheating!) Frank’s encouragement made a difference, as well as my competitive spirit to keep up with him.
The next time we climbed, I wanted to make it farther, to the gravel pit. But time constraints (a morning appointment) kept me from getting there.
To me, the gravel pit represents the halfway point, even though it’s more than halfway. That’s where the grueling final steep climb starts, about half a mile of steep gravelly slope. It’s also where I see the best views of countryside.
Next time we climbed it, I managed to get to the gravel pit. A small celebration for reaching the second milestone.
Then I didn’t hike it again for over a week and lost my momentum.
Today started out different. I told myself I would make it to the top. I had a good night’s sleep, my legs were rested, and the temps were just right—in the 50’s-60’s. (OBSTACLES REMOVED)
Frank, Bella and I started out well, though he had to wait for me a bit, the first steep climb up TO the trail seemed easier. I made sure to keep up Bella’s training to pull me up the steepest parts, which is just enough of a pull to give me that ‘extra push’.
I enjoyed the view as I caught my breath at our traditional resting point, which is the steepest bit of trail, near the beginning of the climb. From then on, the uphill isn’t as steep until the very end.
So, the trail goes up and down a bit in the next part, with some nice vistas of our green wooded hills and lots of birdsong. We enjoyed a companionable silence. As we came around a bend, the tower we’re aiming for came into view. With encouragement from Frank, and a quick conversation with my best friend, I made it to the gravel pit. By then Frank and I were deep in conversation, and I almost didn’t realize it as we started up the steep gravel slope.
As soon as I started to think how hard it is—right about the same time my glutes are burning, that’s when it starts to FEEL difficult. It’s amazing how the distraction of our conversation at the start of the gravel slope made the hill feel less difficult. I had Bella’s help on the final steep climb, though. Her little tug is just what I need to propel me to the top.
And YAY we are HERE! Touch the wire fence around the tower, because that makes it official (at least that’s what our kids tell us).
I bask in the morning, enjoy the view with my sweetheart, and gratitude fills me up. I did it!
What would have happened if Jenny made the goal to climb to the top the first day she hiked it? Setting an unrealistic goal will be discouraging if not attained.
What knowledge about myself is pertinent to planning how to reach the goal? This will be different for everyone. Ex: Jenny knows she will not push herself to the point of pain just to reach the top on the first day. She doesn’t like being sore for days afterward.
What obstacles do I face along the way, or perhaps even before I start?
Are there natural milestones on the way to my goal that I can use to mark my progress? A time, like a month, a distance, an accomplishment?
Who or what will motivate me along the way? Do I need encouragement, competition, a partner, etc.?
What assistance will I need to reach this goal? I had Frank encouraging me and Bella pulling me at times.
Do I have the knowledge or skill I need already? Or: What do I need to develop or learn to reach this goal?
Who do I know that has done something similar to what I am planning? Will I ask them to mentor me/ answer questions to help me along the ‘climb’?
How is your New Year’s resolution going? Did you know only 8 percent of Americans are successful in achieving their New Year’s resolution? Wow, that’s depressing. And half of those who make resolutions abandon them after the first month.
Well, it’s been a month and a week. I’d like to show why resolutions fail and how to come up with a resolution or goal that you will stick to.
First, here are the top 3 New Year’s Resolutions in the U.S.:
What is the deal, are we weak-minded or without willpower? Not exactly, says psychologist Mark Goulston. His reasons why resolutions fail:
So, say my resolution is to stop eating chocolate for a month. This resolution was made in the moment, rashly, when I saw the scale on January 2. I didn’t take into account how much I enjoy chocolate, nor did I determine that the one thing I needs to lose weight is to ban chocolate. (Limiting calories and increasing exercise play a role too.)
Even though I was determined in that moment to ban the evil chocolate from my diet, I might feel differently a week later when I see my son eating a piece of his Christmas chocolate and I have a strong craving for it. I can smell it. Ooh it smells good. I see him enjoying it. I can almost taste it. That’s it—I will have just one piece. And BOOM! My resolution is thrashed. It’s over. I failed. Right?
“They believe that they won’t keep them and in so doing they will then either disappoint others, causing embarrassment or disappoint themselves, causing shame.” ~ Mark Goulston, M.D., FAPA
SO HOW DO I FIX IT?
Many of the studies I read listed this as a reason for abandoning our New Year’s resolutions. We hadn’t truly considered all the ramifications, so when an obstacle like that tempting chocolate comes up, we cave. In other words, commit to it.
They call this a vice-virtue bundle. Hmm, sounds intriguing . . .
So, this addresses self-control issues we face at the dinner table or other situations.
“We determined that people are best served by making vice-virtue bundles, combinations that include primarily healthy choices but also toss in a small proportion of something indulgent, ” ~ Cait Lamberton, University of Pittsburgh
Like CHOCOLATE, or bacon, or cheese . . . .
the same goal, so you can cheer each other on when the going gets tough.
So, to quote an author I know (my husband) Frank Morin, in order to set New Year’s resolutions that will last, you must “look deep, see clear.”
Related posts: https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/2015/01/goals-aim-stars/, http://www.fictorians.com/2016/01/18/aim-for-the-stars/
Resources: http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/just-listen/201312/why-most-people-dont-keep-new-years-resolutions, http://www.business.pitt.edu/katz/katz/faculty/lamberton/vice-bundles.php
Set in Stone, YA novel by Frank Morin, http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=set+in+stone+by+frank+morin
Procrastination is like a leaky faucet.
Procrastination –it’s a killer. It slays good intentions, New Years’ resolutions, and big-picture goals.
When is the last time you procrastinated? What did you put off? I procrastinate blogging, big time. Other people procrastinate cleaning out their pantry, their sock drawer, their shower, whatever. Oh yeah, I procrastinate cleaning my shower, too. Since we’re being honest…
The point is, if you want to stop procrastinating, you MUST figure out what the root reason is for your Herculean procrastination efforts. If you find yourself cleaning the fridge (assuming you work from home) just to avoid having to call someone back or write a proposal, there is a reason for that. Because cleaning out the fridge is a nasty job, so you must be desperate to avoid something.
Sometimes you procrastinate because you don’t have enough information. An example: If I need to call someone, but first I have to look up some information online, I may put off the phone call every time I think of it because I have not made the time to go online and find out about the XYZ product they want for their desk. So if the task has too many steps, that may lead to procrastination.
Sometimes you procrastinate because you don’t have the skills to do a task. Example: organizing. Many people berate themselves for not knowing how to organize their miscellaneous drawer at the office, or their files, or their pantry. Whatever the chore is that you’re putting off, it may be that you simply don’t possess the skills to accomplish it. That’s when you call in an expert, like me. If you had a leaky faucet and your water bill goes up, it makes sense to hire a plumber to fix that leak, right? The same goes for organizing. How many hours are you going to waste looking for those post-its or envelopes which you wrote a potential client’s phone number on? Not only do you waste time looking for it, it also distracts you from the productive flow of work because you get flustered and possibly upset with yourself, which can cause you to “lose your place” in the day’s work.
Sometimes you procrastinate because you just don’t have the desire to do a task. That’s how it is with my shower. I love my shower. It has 2 shower heads. But it is HUGE and it takes 20 minutes to clean it right. So I hire my kids to do it. They’ll do my shower for a nominal fee. That makes me happy.
So three of the reasons you procrastinate are: Lack of information, lack of skills, lack of motivation. Find the root cause and you are on your way to fixing whatever is holding you back.
Please contact me to continue this discussion…
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