During the end of a calendar year and at the beginning of a new one, I am frequently asked if I set goals and what does that look like? Well, it is not as simple as JUST setting goals for the year. For me, there is a lot more that goes into ending a year and beginning a new one. I believe it is about intentionality. I like to be deliberate in how I end and start a year. Why? Well, it gives me clarity and a vision forward…a path if you will.
So I thought it would be helpful to share the process I use for myself and my coaching clients. This way others can adopt it or at the very least use it as a guide to start their own practices. It really has worked well for me. Over the last few years, I have set myself up for success with these steps. In fact, each of my last 4 years has been better than the last and this has not happened by chance. When I look back I have been blown away by the goals I completed and how my life has changed in so many areas. To be honest, I didn’t complete every goal that I set each of these years (and that is okay).
Over the years I’ve tried different ways and I recognize that each individual is their own person and has their own way of doing things. So you’ll need to tweak this for yourself. Just use the following steps as a guide to help.
Each of the below steps is (or will be) its own blog post. Just click on the hyperlink and a new window will open.
#1 Reflect. We can’t look forward unless you take some time to look where you’ve come from. So take some time and reflect on the year that is ending. Think about what went well, what you want to change, and what you should get rid of. Click here to read about how to reflect on the year.
#2 Know the present you. Where are you now? What is your life like in all areas? To get a good snapshot of where you are, take the time to complete my Wheel of Life assessment. Make sure you complete the accompanying worksheet since it will give you a more in-depth look of where you are and where you want to go. Click here to read more about the Wheel of Life assessment (3 minute read).
#3 Set the tone for the coming year. Select a word to help define what you want this year to look like or it could be a word to help keep you grounded and on track. Many have done this for years.
#4 Set your goals. I use the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goal method and I don’t set more than 5-7 goals at a time, otherwise, it could become unwieldy and overwhelming. If this is all new to you then I wouldn’t have more than 5 goals at any one time. And the goals you set should not be easy to achieve. They should push you outside your comfort zone and move your life forward in the direction you want it to go. Use the results from the Wheel of Life assessment to decide on what categories of your life you want to improve and also incorporate your word of the year. Click here to read more about all the details of SMARTER goals (4-minute read).
#5 Make the time. Now you need to set aside time to work on these goals because they won’t just accomplish themselves. Start with a calendar for the entire year and set milestones for each goal, then take that down to what needs to get done each month. What I also recommend is to set time each week just to move your goals forward. This will look different for each person but how much time do you think you need each week to work on your goals? Now find that time and put it on your calendar. What gets scheduled gets done.
#6 Review on a regular basis. I have found that a best practice is to schedule a quarterly review to go over your goals. I do this to make sure my goals still align with what I want. I also want to see where each goal is in the process. Here are a couple of the questions I ask myself: What are my obstacles? What can I do now to move the needle forward? In addition to the quarterly review, set a reoccurring calendar appointment for yourself to review your goals on a weekly basis. This will allow for you to determine what needs to get done each week and not forget about it.
Now, all of this might seem like a lot of work but I have found that it pays off in big dividends at the beginning and the end of each year. This process gives me the structure I need to set up my year for success.
[Tweet “This process gives me the structure I need to set up my year for success.”]
You can complete each step separately. It doesn’t all have to be done in one day – although it can be.
Trust the process and give it a try.
Let me know what you think of this process and what questions you have.
Wheel of Life
Work and LifeHow to Attract Recruiters on LinkedIn
Career, Personal Development, Social Media, TechnologyLearn to Make the Best LinkedIn to Attract Recruiters
We are living in an age where the advancement of technology has resulted in an ever-changing job environment and technological automation is causing job loss. To excel, one needs to strive to become a lifelong dynamic learner to acquire skills of the future to stay relevant and keep thriving. Those who stop learning and give up on skill development might not be able to survive the technological revolution.
Read moreHow to Reflect on the Year
Personal DevelopmentThere are times when I have felt disheveled, out of place. or just unorganized. It could also be described as just feeling off-balance. Whatever it is or whatever you want to call it, spending some time collecting my thoughts usually helps.
Read moreSet Yourself Up For Success This Year
Personal Development, Productivity, WellnessDuring the end of a calendar year and at the beginning of a new one, I am frequently asked if I set goals and what does that look like? Well, it is not as simple as JUST setting goals for the year. For me, there is a lot more that goes into ending a year and beginning a new one. I believe it is about intentionality. I like to be deliberate in how I end and start a year. Why? Well, it gives me clarity and a vision forward…a path if you will.
So I thought it would be helpful to share the process I use for myself and my coaching clients. This way others can adopt it or at the very least use it as a guide to start their own practices. It really has worked well for me. Over the last few years, I have set myself up for success with these steps. In fact, each of my last 4 years has been better than the last and this has not happened by chance. When I look back I have been blown away by the goals I completed and how my life has changed in so many areas. To be honest, I didn’t complete every goal that I set each of these years (and that is okay).
Over the years I’ve tried different ways and I recognize that each individual is their own person and has their own way of doing things. So you’ll need to tweak this for yourself. Just use the following steps as a guide to help.
Each of the below steps is (or will be) its own blog post. Just click on the hyperlink and a new window will open.
#1 Reflect. We can’t look forward unless you take some time to look where you’ve come from. So take some time and reflect on the year that is ending. Think about what went well, what you want to change, and what you should get rid of. Click here to read about how to reflect on the year.
#2 Know the present you. Where are you now? What is your life like in all areas? To get a good snapshot of where you are, take the time to complete my Wheel of Life assessment. Make sure you complete the accompanying worksheet since it will give you a more in-depth look of where you are and where you want to go. Click here to read more about the Wheel of Life assessment (3 minute read).
#3 Set the tone for the coming year. Select a word to help define what you want this year to look like or it could be a word to help keep you grounded and on track. Many have done this for years.
#4 Set your goals. I use the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goal method and I don’t set more than 5-7 goals at a time, otherwise, it could become unwieldy and overwhelming. If this is all new to you then I wouldn’t have more than 5 goals at any one time. And the goals you set should not be easy to achieve. They should push you outside your comfort zone and move your life forward in the direction you want it to go. Use the results from the Wheel of Life assessment to decide on what categories of your life you want to improve and also incorporate your word of the year. Click here to read more about all the details of SMARTER goals (4-minute read).
#5 Make the time. Now you need to set aside time to work on these goals because they won’t just accomplish themselves. Start with a calendar for the entire year and set milestones for each goal, then take that down to what needs to get done each month. What I also recommend is to set time each week just to move your goals forward. This will look different for each person but how much time do you think you need each week to work on your goals? Now find that time and put it on your calendar. What gets scheduled gets done.
#6 Review on a regular basis. I have found that a best practice is to schedule a quarterly review to go over your goals. I do this to make sure my goals still align with what I want. I also want to see where each goal is in the process. Here are a couple of the questions I ask myself: What are my obstacles? What can I do now to move the needle forward? In addition to the quarterly review, set a reoccurring calendar appointment for yourself to review your goals on a weekly basis. This will allow for you to determine what needs to get done each week and not forget about it.
Now, all of this might seem like a lot of work but I have found that it pays off in big dividends at the beginning and the end of each year. This process gives me the structure I need to set up my year for success.
[Tweet “This process gives me the structure I need to set up my year for success.”]
You can complete each step separately. It doesn’t all have to be done in one day – although it can be.
Trust the process and give it a try.
Click here to sign up to my email community and don’t miss another update!
Let me know what you think of this process and what questions you have.
Skills of the Future
Blog Tabs, UncategorizedProfessional work has always been a game of skills, regardless of the classification of your occupation. Whether you’re a white- or a blue-collar worker, you need to possess and demonstrate skills that can help you complete your tasks.
Read moreHow To Recover From A Terrible Job Interview
Blog Tabs, CareerYou studied the company, you put on your most professional outfit, you went through all the talking points in your head, you prepared thought-provoking questions, and then you completely blew it.
Terrible job interviews leave a horrible taste in your mouth. A ton of different circumstances can bring this about, and not all of them are in your control. But a lot can be done to remedy an interview flop.
Rather than moping and suffering from post-traumatic interview depression, here are the things you can do to recover.[featured-image single_newwindow=”false”] Read more
Super valuable email management tips and tools you can’t live without
Blog Tabs, Email, Productivity[guestpost]GUEST POST: Eugene Feygin has a B.S. in Advertising from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. As an SEO expert, he has published articles on the SEO trends and presented at multiple conferences on marketing research and tactics, user experience and social media management. He is the founder of digital marketing agency Raw SEO, and enjoys studying UX from both sides—as a user testing products and as a designer using the results to spur innovation.[/guestpost]
Each and every day, 193.3 billion emails are sent around the world. More than half of those are business emails. The average person spends 28 percent of the workweek reading and responding to email, which equates to 13 hours a week. So what do we do about all this email dependence? Thankfully there are tools and strategies to cut down on inbox overload and get organized. Considering an estimated two-thirds of the emails in an average inbox are not important, regular inbox cleaning, archiving, and unsubscribing can do wonders. Project managers and instant messaging systems, including Slack, Pie, Rocket.Chat, and Team Tracker App, can all help workers collaborate without (or with fewer) emails. Check out the infographic below to learn how to cut down on your outgoing and incoming emails.
Read more
How to Improve Your Resume According to Science
CareerHow to Create S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals
Personal DevelopmentI have noticed over the years that I have been more productive and more successful throughout the year when I have written down my goals. Writing down my goals gives me a blueprint for where I should be going and where I should be focusing my time for the year. It’s a way to set my priorities.
I hear from too many people that their goals are either too overwhelming or they have goals but they are in their head and not written down. Or goals just don’t work for them.
Setting S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals can increase the likelihood of completing what you have set out to accomplish. Goals should support growth and achievement and push you outside of your comfort zone.
[Tweet “Goals should support growth and achievement and push you outside of your comfort zone.”]
Here’s how to set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals.
Read more
How off balance is your life?
Work and LifeHave you ever been in a presentation where the presenter uses graphs or charts to drive home a point? Have you noticed how effective it is at helping you visualize the results of something? Well, the Wheel of Life assessment helps you do that with your life.
It takes the major elements of your life (as defined by you) and shows you what they look like when you put them together.
The takeaway from this assessment is to see where your life is out of balance, which areas you’re unsatisfied with, and help you define what you need to do to bring your life into balance.
The way others have administered the Wheel of Life assessment is to give you a piece of paper and have you draw where you feel you are in each category.
I teamed up with a plugin coder and develop a more automated way to complete this assessment. The process is easier and faster. It all can be done through my website and your results will appear instantly on the screen and also will be sent to you via email so you have them to look back on.
Here’s how it works:
1) Define your categories – Read more