Goal Setting Game-Changer
After that hot mess of a year we call 2020, it may be hard to wrap your head around goal setting for this year. I mean, we ALL started last year with BIG PLANS, and now look at us. Mid-year we were giving each other leeway and passes. I know I said to a friend more than once “It’s ok, this year is a shit-show!” Mentally, a lot of us were off our game.
But what kind of pressure are we putting on ourselves anyway to have to make excuses for ourselves to feel ok about not finishing something or reaching what we set out to do? And how are we going to set our intentions for this year knowing that we probably have some unfinished business left in the last quarter?
Here is a NEW WAY to set your goals for 2021 that will not only keep you on track to reach them but also take the pressure off.
So how do we do it? How do we make sure we reach our goals?
Most people would try to start by revisiting the goals they set last year. You’d take out your list (if you made one), check off the ones you achieved (or came close enough) and look at the ones still out there that you didn’t get around to, and go from there.
I’m gonna stop you right there…DON’T do that!
While looking at this list might help you determine what you still wish to get done, it can be somewhat discouraging if you see a list of 5–10 goals and you’ve only accomplished 3. Let’s face it, last year was a bitch! We are lucky if we stayed on track for ANYTHING we had planned, so let it go.
Switch it up and write out a list of the things you DID accomplish last year. They don’t even have to be goals you had set, just anything that you managed to accomplish in your life — business or personal. Try to see if there is a connection between any of them.
Did you read a new book that led you to try something new which allowed you to pivot your business model?
Did you reconnect with someone online that is super supportive and encouraging?
Did you spend your time learning new recipes on youtube or getting a new wellness routine?
How did you spend your time in 2020 and how can it help you now? What do these endeavors tell you about yourself, your strengths/weaknesses, your interests, and how can you use these new priorities to set your goals for 2021?
Take this information and write it out.
THEN…
Look at the past — what goals have you set and how did you reach them? What tools did you use to reach those goals and how can they help you reach your new goals? Also, take a look at what stopped you from reaching your goal. Are those factors still in play this time around? If they are, you’ll want to look at how to minimize them.
For example, maybe your goal was to increase sales by 20% in Q2. You were going to do so by having an event where you collaborated with local influencers to spread the word about your new lunch menu, but you never did because at the same time this was happening they were changing the rules on restaurants and you had to shut down. If this is something still on your list of things to do, what factors NOW might prevent this from occurring? If there are, then think of something else you can do to achieve this goal?
But don’t focus on still trying to achieve what you didn’t get done in previous years…
Establish new goals
It gets old after awhile working on the same things. Establishing new goals keeps things fresh, and has you coming up with creative ways to achieve them instead of continuing to try to hit the same mark with the same boring methods. Most importantly WRITE THE GOALS DOWN! Because you do want to revisit them throughout the year to keep your head in the game and remind you of your why.
Expand your vision
Don’t just focus on goals for the year and then hope by Dec 31st you’ve reached them all. Create short term goals and long term goals. What are your goals for Q1? This week? October? 5 years from now? And also, how do your short term goals help you achieve your long term goals?
Look at your goals for the next year and see how they can be broken down into steps. Achieving smaller goals to reach larger goals will give you small wins throughout the year, keeping you encouraged and excited! Each step closer you get to achieving your goal, no matter how small, is great progress so keep it up!
Be authentic in your goals — think about your WHY…
Why is this goal important to you? Is it an intrinsic motivation or extrinsic motivation? You will achieve more success when your motivation is internal, as opposed to when outside factors influence your decision-making.
Do it for yourself and not because someone told you this is where you should be by now. F-that! You know where you want to be and where you need to be. Keep working towards what it is you want for YOU, not for anyone else.
Time management should also be part of your goal setting strategy. You won’t complete your goals if you:
- Don’t set aside the time to outline them
- Don’t set aside the time needed to achieve the tasks that will help you accomplish your goals.
If your goal is to have more of a presence on social media, but then you don’t set aside time to post or engage with your audience, then you will just let yourself down when you don’t see a change in your business. Visible change is what helps keep you motivated so make sure you allow yourself the time to dedicate to achieving your goals.
What goals can you set NOW that will help you set and achieve your future goals? Maybe your dream big goal is to open another location. To do that you need to have a certain amount set aside in the bank. So what financial goals can you set for your business now that will help you get the capital to get the new business? And what internal goals (menu changes, promotions, marketing) will help you reach these financial goals?
Do not get preoccupied with the outcome…
Have you ever tried to lose weight? You join a gym, start working out, eat right, and then weigh yourself after every moment you can in hopes of moving the needle just a little?
It’s enough to drive you crazy! And then if you don’t see changes or, God forbid, you gain a pound, you start doubting your process, and eventually, you want to give up, right?!
The same thing happens when you want to, say, increase followers on Facebook. You post every day, interact with your followers, but you only see an increase of one or two followers a week when your goal was to have 3000 new followers by August. It’s enough to make you give up and say social media marketing doesn’t work (it does!).
Stick to your process. The process will become a habit, and pretty soon you’ll hit your goal before you even realize it. And without going through the self-loathing phase, lol.
Do not beat yourself up if you don’t achieve every goal!
The most important part of all of this is that you are working towards your goals. Each goal you work towards is an opportunity to learn…you learn what you are capable of, what motivates you, and it forces you to think of creative ways to make ish happen. Remember, progress, not perfection!
Listen, 2020 changed all of us. We are NOT the same as we were a year ago when setting our goals for what was going to be “our year!”. So why not try a new approach when setting your goals for 2021.
