Happy New Year and welcome to 2019! The holidays are over, Winter is upon us and now it's time to get to work!! This is the perfect time for SWOT meetings, planning, goal setting, etc. etc. Anything that will get everyone focused on whatever the key targets should be to meet and exceed your goals for this new year. The longer you wait or the weaker the commitment, the more your results will show that at year-end.
Whether you are a business leader/manager, athletic coach, teacher/trainer/instructor in some area of expertise or even a parent....now's the perfect time to have a plan. And one last reminder is to be sure that it is
a) simple
b) measurable and
c) VISUAL (write it down, type it up, etc.!).
In my opinion, whatever the application of this plan, it has to be YOURS. You have to own it and commit to it. This newsletter is designed to give you a little kick in the derriere to do so now, if you haven't. Or revisit, perhaps rethink and tweak/adjust yours if you have one already.
Here goes!
#1 - Set Real Goals
They need to be YOUR goals, for work, for life, for whatever you want to focus on. They should NOT be easy, they should test you, stretch you, help you to grow/learn/improve in whatever area(s) you identify. Some may seem downright scary or huge at first, but by committing to them fully you then can break them down into manageable and attainable steps to help you achieve the ultimate outcome!
#2 - Make them Time Sensitive
What's the #1 thing I see or hear from people when setting goals incorrectly? No prioritization. Laying all the steps out, with timelines to accomplish them, automatically helps you and literally forces you to prioritize them. This is critical to success. It also makes you THINK in depth about the roadmap to achieve these same goals. And find someone to share them with that you trust but who won't just "roll over" and tell you what you want to hear.
#3 - Keep It Simple
Big goals require big effort, attention and planning. Don't create TOO many or you are setting yourself up for failure. 1-2-3 big ones for any given year, with a roadmap and timelines on how to get there, prioritized in order of importance to you, is usually perfect.
#4 - Accountability & Support Rule
Don't try and go it alone. There's a reason why successful business people have a team of key people helping them. There's a reason why successful athletes have trainers, coaches, sports psychologists. Just to name two examples. Create your support network wisely. They can be your absolutely most valuable piece of the puzzle. They can sometimes teach, always be a proper sounding board and most importantly GIVE IT TO YOU STRAIGHT. No bobble head doll yes men allowed! We all need this. And we need to be able to trust them and be open to what they bring to the table.
#5 - Track and Measure
Keep track of your progress and the steps you have taken as you move along through your plan. Write things down. Note key measurables you attained whenever possible and applicable. This becomes almost a diary of your path, activity and accomplishments or in some cases failures. Over time, look back at this list. You'll certainly "catch yourself doing something right" on the accomplishments and or benchmarks achieved. This is key to keeping your confidence up where it should be. You need that! And on those where we missed the mark, remember all you have accomplished and step back, rethink, retool and try again on those "not so good's". It's a great way to coach yourself to success and not beat yourself up either. Try it, it works!
If this sparked any of you to give this a whirl, excellent! And if you would like more information or even some help on getting started on this personally, CONTACT ME. I have several templates, for example, that can help tremendously in helping you cut to the chase on goals for your own PDP. As well as serving as a sounding board for you. I'm here to help, folks!!
Dave G
