Is your 2020 plan running off the rails already?

“This is the year, I’m going to…

• Lose weight!”
• Increase my production!”
• Hire some help for my business!”
• Finally take a real vacation!”

Setting goals. Lots of people do this. Most people don’t achieve them. What’s left behind are feelings of disappointment, failure, regret. Who wants to feel those feels?

There are several reasons why goals run off the rails:

1. The goals often lack specificity. “I’m going to lose weight” lacks the specificity of “I’m going to drop fifteen pounds.”
2. The timeline is vague. “This year” is pretty broad when it comes to arriving at a destination, compared to “by May 31, 2020…”
3.  There are no action steps to achieve it. If you want to arrive at a new destination, you need to draw out a map.
4. There is no accountability to ensure you follow through. What if you don’t do what you said you wanted to? Does anyone even know what you committed to?

Take just one of your goals right now. If you don’t have any, and are just going through the motions of living and working, day in and day out, start with this question: “What do I really, REALLY want for myself, in business and/or in life, for this year?” Then put that vision to action. What specifically do you want to be able to say happened come December 31, 2020? Instead of, “I finally took a vacation,” for example, you might say, “I am so thrilled that my spouse and I went to Costa Rica, just the two of us, for a week in October.”

Now, what are the action steps to achieve that? They might include:

• Research different travel and trip options
• Confirm date with spouse
• Place a deposit with hotel
• Book flights
• Arrange for boarding for the pets
• Identify work items to be covered or delegated in my absence
• Shop for appropriate attire and supplies
• Now that you have this goal and that list, by when will you complete each action step, whose help do you need, and who is going to hold you accountable to getting it done?

When coaching our clients around their business, we walk through the entire Snapshot Business Planning process (pick up the book or e-book here), which starts with declaring a clear vision of where you want to end up.

Goals are identified in each of the eight facets, and ultimately we work with the client to prioritize what the Top 6 of those goals are. Then we work through each goal to ensure that specific action steps, with timelines for completion and clarification of who else might be involved in achieving them, are identified. Finally, we follow up on subsequent coaching sessions to ensure that those commitments are being met, and if not, what adjustments need to be made to get back on track.

Instead of being resolute, or worse yet resigned to no change, schedule yourself time this week to get to work on reworking. And reach out if you want some help with ways to follow through on the goals you have made. We offer free strategy sessions, so you have help right at your fingertips. Click here to contact us!