Goal Refresh – We are Midway through the Year!
Written by Jacqueline Heil - July 12, 2018
Many of us set goals and resolutions at the beginning of the year, but perhaps don’t invest the time in a reevaluation at various times throughout the year. Our priorities may shift, or we find ourselves in the midst of an unexpected situation such as a job loss. As dynamic beings living dynamic lives, it is inevitable that goals will change as well. I find it beneficial to reflect upon what really matters to me at various times throughout the year, rather than look in the rearview mirror at year-end and realizing I am way off course.
For me, the technique that works nicely is to revisit goals every three months. This periodic check-in is like a tune-up and ties to the seasons as well. During my review, I track progress on things that are very important to me, eliminate goals that no longer serve me, and celebrate accomplishments. At the beginning of July, I completed this process and paired back my original ten goals to eight.
(actually, Goal #9 is: Fewer goals for summer…..en-JOY!)
If you aren’t in the practice or mindset of setting goals and tracking them, here are ten tips for getting started:
o Write out a list of things that really matter to you in your personal and professional life that you would like to achieve. My goals include things like: Take exquisite care of myself so I am better able to serve others; Assist my dad in a large scale move from Memphis to San Diego; Develop and launch social media campaign for my business.
o Narrow it down to those goals that really resonate with your heart.
o Brainstorm a broad action plan for each goal. Ideas here: Create moving checklist, call moving companies, donate unwanted items, pack, send change of address cards, etc.
o Prioritize what action you will take in the next 2-3 months for all goals and set due dates if possible. You don’t have to create an entire plan but just get started on a few tasks.
o Set appointments or due dates for as many of these items as you can on the calendar you use. I use Google Calendar with reminders. Life happens and schedules inevitably change but at least I have some tasks to navigate towards.
o Evaluate how you are doing in each area of your life and reflect on how you can tweak your goals to improve your ratings from 1-10. Three months down the road do this exercise again and see what’s worked for you.
o Health
o Finances
o Work
o Family
o Significant Other
o Friends
o Spiritual
o Other?
o Research information that you would like to obtain related to your goals. For example, if I have a goal to travel to a specific place, I set aside time to research hotels, weather, restaurants, etc. and keep the information I find in Evernote on my computer. I also like to research new recipes or cooking classes. Usually, my goal perspective is broadened by stumbling across information on the topics I investigate.
o Celebrate actionable steps that you achieve towards the pursuit of your goal. It is in the journey that the magic happens. Little steps add up!
o Do something for yourself when you achieve the goal itself. After all, when you get to the finish line you want to know you have arrived. Decide in advance how you will revel in your success and treat yourself in a special way.
o Keep a list of goals/dreams/plans that you are not able to focus on in this season but would like to do in the future. An example is a list of places you would like to visit.
There are many beautiful planners and tools available to track your goals. Use what is best for your personality type. I will talk about my favorites in an upcoming post.
Happy Summer and Goal Get Em!