Guest Writer Brenda Loan Baker, Executive Coach, Fortune Management Northeast
Here we are, the first week of January. The traditional time goals for the new year is upon us! What is the difference between the people who set their goals and reach or surpass them and those who fall short? What things can you do to make your goals more achievable or even likely? Read on to determine what determines your goals achievability.
It is easy to dream big and set lofty goals. I want to earn $X this year, I want to increase my collections to $X dollars, I want to have more confidence in myself and try new things. These are all great goals, attainable goals. These goals on their own are not just going to happen. The missing piece is how are you going to do that? If you want to make more money or increase your collections, start with where are you now? Come up with a list of 20 things you can do to get to you goal. There is science in the 20. Sometimes the last few things you come up with are the best because they are outside of the box thinking.
A secret weapon in goal achievement is looking deeper, and really clearly determining your why. Why do you want to lose those 30 pounds? What will that get you? You might determine that it isn’t just about the number on the scale. Perhaps it is something bigger, like increasing your health so that not only are you around to meet your grandchildren but healthy enough to run after them. Determining your why you will create a much stronger buy in for yourself. It isn’t just about a pound on the scale, it reminds you what you have to gain by meeting your own goals. This buy in helps you get up at 6am because it is the only time all day, or to leave that piece of cake on the table. It helps your goals become more achievable.
Next look at your list of 20. Pick 2 or 3 that you think might really work. Decide how you will try them, creating your action plan. Take massive consistent action. For example, to increase my patients I will ask one patient every day for a referral, I will send appointment reminders, and I personally call every patient after sedation treatment.
Once you have your clear action plan, decide how you will be accountable. Perhaps you will share with a friend and keep each other accountable (accountability partners). Maybe you will keep yourself from your celebratory Friday wine until you have all your boxes checked. Find some way to help you be accountable.
With these actions we need to measure and monitor. How do you measure confidence? How do you know if it has changed? With confidence, or any other thing, you want to set goals around, you can create a metric for it. How confident are you right now on a scale of one to 10, one being not at all and 10 being super confident?
The more consistent you are the better results you achieve. Do these things you have determined for a few weeks, a month (30 days) is a great sample time. When completed, look back. What worked? What did not work? Adjust your action steps and try again. You may need to go back to the drawing board here and revamp your action steps. Be open to trying something new or different.
Here are the steps:
- Know your outcome
- Determine your why
- Take massive action
- Measure and Monitor your results
- Be willing to change your approach
Following these five steps will give you an exponentially better chance at reaching your goals this year.
I hope you make 2021 a great year. May you concentrate on something important to you, set your goals and reach them!! Connect with me to help you define and create this action plan and make 2021 the year you always dreamed of!
For more info, please email: brendaloan@fortunemgmt.com