Set Better Goals for 2020
It’s the time of year where goals start to come to the forefront of conversation. You might have a lot of ideas and plans of things you want to accomplish in the next decade. It’s important to have a sense of direction and vision of what you want to get done.
However, it is all too common to set a New Year’s resolution only to forget about it three weeks into the year. I’ve met athletes, coaches, exercisers, and folks in general who talk about many different aspects they plan to improve in the upcoming year. Some have very detailed plans on how they will accomplish those goals. But 90% of time, the motivation fizzles out, the plan gets derailed, or the goal is completely forgotten about.
Why We Fail to Reach Our Goals
There are many reasons for New Year’s resolutions and goals tend to drop off by February. The most prevalent being that many people go too hard, too fast. If you’ve ever set a fitness related goal, you’ve seen the exponential increase of people at the gym in January.
A story I often hear from clients I’ve worked with begins with planning to be more fit in the new year. You hit the gym on the first January trying to build a new habit, but there are challenges. The first one is being physically sore, your body needs to adjust to the workload and it takes times. The second challenge is learning your way around the gym; workouts are more difficult to follow when the gym is busy. Certain equipment may not be available and unfamiliar equipment can be hard to learn to use. After a week or two of feeling physically sore, confused in the gym, feeling overcrowded, and trying to learn workouts and equipment, people favor the option of quitting instead of continuing to endure the challenge.
This pattern is the same for improving diet or setting personal growth goals. They are uncomfortable and unfamiliar. If you try to dive into the deep end, you’re more likely to be overwhelmed and uneasy with the process. All of these forces would drive anyone to quit.
Similarly, many people set an absurd amount of goals. Often I work with folks who come in with multiple goals that fall into multiple categories; fitness/physical health, eating/dieting, work, personal life, professional development, personal growth/development. Some take it further and have a very detailed plan for each set of goals; a step-by-step guide for getting to the next level at work, picking up a new hobby, and eating a healthier diet. However, this takes a lot of time, energy and attention to not only create but also keep up to date. Even the most well-intentioned plans have to adjust, and then multiply that by each goal you have in mind.
Avoid Over-Complication
There is a lot of information out there about setting goals. There are “tips,” “tricks,” and “hacks” that can involve five to ten different steps to set a goal for the new year. There are “SMART” goals and different types of goals (process vs. outcome) that can be confusing. The process of goal setting doesn’t even include the work it takes to actually get the goal accomplished. If it takes more work than necessary to just the set the goal then you’re wasting your time, energy, and attention.
I’ve been guilty of providing tons of steps to set the best possible goals. Last year, I wrote an essay providing seven steps to keep in mind when setting goals. I took it further and provided five steps to avoid in setting effective goals. It was well-intentioned and each step served a purpose. However, I believe this is overcomplicating the process. Instead of writing out detailed plans, goals, and aspirations, this year explore the opposite. Encompass an entire year’s worth of dreams into a single word.
Boil It Down to One Word
This concept comes from Jon Gordon.
“One Word creates clarity, power, passion and life-change.”
You are much more likely to remember a single word than a detailed step-by-step plan to improve your life. One word will stick in your mind. The process of limiting yourself forces you to be concise and intentional. The idea is that one word will include all areas of life; physical, mental, relational, spiritual, emotional and financial. Having one word allows for you to be present. You don’t have to think about detailed plans, forgetting a stage of your plan, or how to adjust the plan when challenges arise.
There is one word for everyone. Find your word and live it.
If you’re having difficulty coming up with your word, take your time. There is no pressure to come up with the word right now on the spot. The idea is to identify a word that resonates with you and your ideas for 2020. Do not try to force a word because you think someone else has a good one.
You can change your word. You’re not stuck with the first word you pick. You may switch upwards of three to four times. Try out a word and see if it matches with you and what you want to get done. It is encouraged that when you settle on a word, you work to stick to it for the entire year.
An additional strategy, if you feel that you can’t possibly take an entire year with a single word, is to create one sentence about the upcoming year. The idea is to be intentional on what you want your message to yourself to be for an entire year. You do not want to waste time and headspace with unnecessary extras. Once you get your sentence, work to pull a single word theme from the sentence.
My word for 2019 was “Stretch.” To me, this signified stretching outside of my comfort zone. Putting myself out there more in my personal life as well as on social media, blogs, and even YouTube. I found myself during the year trying to reflect on the word and notice if I’m my daily actions matched my intentions.
Put It Out There
This step is optional but highly encouraged.
Put your word out there into the world. This does not mean you have to tell everyone or even anyone what your 2020 word is. At its simplest form, you can write the word on a sticky note and place it somewhere in your home. You’ve put the word out there into the world; it serves as a reminder to live out the word.
If you feel comfortable, you can share your word with others. Sharing your word will improve accountability since you’ve made it known to others what your intentions are. Sharing can also help others in their journey through 2020. By sharing your word for the year, you inspire others to create their own personal word. They also get the benefit of a single word focus for the year. Some families and groups made an event of deciding their word for the year. Families get together with canvas, paper, paint and creativity to make a visual representation of their personal one word. Not only is this a great way to spend time together but the finished products get hung on the walls, become regular topics of conversation, and are lasting memories.
What Will Your Word for 2020 be?
Thanks for reading! I am a Certified Mental Performance Coach. I currently have a few select spots open for coaching. Set up a free 15 minute phone consultation with me by sending me a message here!
