Now that you have set your SMART goals for the year, and had a couple of weeks to flush out unrealistic New Year resolutions, how do you take your 2024 goals to the finish line? The earlier you plan, the higher the success rate.
This blog offers ten tips to commit to your goals and pave the path to success. Some inspired by movies; others borrowed from amazing people and some tips come from my personal experiences. I invite you to adopt those that work best for you.
1. Seeing is Believing
This comes from the movie Field of Dreams. The voice that spoke to Kevin Costner’s character, “if you build it, he will come!” drove him to build a baseball ground in his field of corn.
Visualizing your goal is everything. If you cannot see it, if you cannot feel it, it won’t happen. Whatever goal you set for yourself; it has to become part of your lifestyle and integrated in your daily activities.
2. Break it Down
You cannot eat a whole burger with one bite! Every goal can be broken down into smaller tasks. No matter how small or insignificant these tasks might seem, together they contribute to the full goal delivery.
Breaking down goals allows the opportunity to dedicate efforts into specific components and gain satisfaction from completing the goal’s building blocks. Start with smaller tasks and you will find momentum.
3. Use Your Best Tools
You need to allocate time and resources to complete each task. Use whatever tools you are comfortable with to track your progress.
Paper calendars (checkout The Big A## Calendar), digital calendars, project and performance management tools can come in handy when tracking timelines. Do not cheat by procrastinating or pushing tasks forward into the future. Once you commit to a date, use your best tools to hold yourself accountable.
4. Make it Public
You have 40% chance of completing your goal if you make it public. People in your circle will periodically ask about progress and subsequently redirect your focus to your goals. They may even be a source for suggestions and new ideas providing you with a good support system.
Communicating your goal to your network can help you find necessary resources and open doors to other opportunities. Use your connections whenever you feel stuck and never shy away from asking for help.
5. Be Flexible
When circumstances and external factors change, be agile with the change and work with it. Study the external environment, test the validity of your assumptions and know the impact of such factors on your goal.
Being rigid and sticking to a goal that is no longer valid won’t help you. Learn from your mistakes; look at challenges as opportunities for growth and development. This is the essence of a Growth Mindset.
6. Be Kind to Yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself. Love who you are and embrace everything you did to get you here, including your mistakes. Learn to laugh more, cry less, and let go of grudges (a good parental advice).
Direct all your energy towards accomplishments rather than beating yourself up. Look forward to a brighter future by exploring different channels to accomplish your goals.
7. Celebrate More
Take time to celebrate small achievements in whatever way that pleases you. Be it in a form of a shopping spree, a vacation, getting a massage, or having an amazing dinner with a friend.
The point is to constantly remind yourself of your successes, no matter how small, and strive to have more of them. You’ve got this!
8. Maintain Positive Circles
Surround yourself with positive and successful people who lift you up. They don’t have to be people with similar goals to yours, they don’t even have to have goals of their own! They just need to be the type of people who maintain a positive outlook to life.
Always remember, positivity is a stimulus, negativity is infectious. Select your circle of friends carefully and keep the vibe.
9. Get a Coach – Optional
Invest in a coach if needed. There are many options out there, some more affordable than others. Coaching styles also vary; pick a coach you are most comfortable with and agree on a schedule that works for you.
Remember, a coach will never give you instructions. They will work with you to come up with a path to achieve your goal or find a best-fit solution to your own challenges. A good coach will make sure you are comfortable with the way forward and you have full ownership of it.
Coaching is a large area. To develop your own coaching skills, checkout our Coaching Skills Workshop.
10. Set Free Time
This particular tip is credited to Simon Sinek who encourages people to set time aside to do nothing. Reading a book, playing a sport, going for a walk or simply watching TV is not a bad thing. The idea is to give your brain some rest from focusing on your tasks and allow it to wonder on what is possible.
It is during those times that our brains are free to think outside the box and innovate. Never feel bad for dedicating time to step away from your daily work.
Good luck with all your goals, enjoy every step of the way and stay tuned!