Finishing the Year Strong
Everything big starts little.
– Author Unknown
Did you know that 90% of New Years Resolutions are given up on by the end of January? Was there something you wanted to accomplish when you started this year? Whether the goals are professional or personal, you still have time to build a plan for achieving part or all of your goals. First, you have to decide that you still want the goal you set earlier in the year. If that is the case, then the next step is to revisit and strengthen your “why” for maximizing on the time that is left in the year. Your “why” is what will keep your momentum going! Simon Sinek in “Start with Why” shares that our “why” resonates on an emotional level and can connect your actions to your beliefs and values. The “why” leads us to the “what” as in goals.
Chunking the Big Goals Down
Once you have settled on your new goal, many authors recommend chunking the big goal down into smaller segments. Jack Canfield in “The Success Principles” advises us to break down our goals to avoid being overwhelmed by the expected outcomes. He shares that by using mind maps or other visuals as well as connecting with other individuals who have accomplished what we have as a goal allows us to build action steps that align our behaviors with success. David Allen in “Getting Things Done” refers to this process as going from the “Big Picture” to the nitty-gritty. In getting to the nitty-gritty, we focus on behaviors and tools that allow us to accomplish tasks at the level the work really happens.
Another author, Brian Moran in “The Twelve Week Year” provides a framework for setting and achieving goals that fits with a fourth quarter push. The concept behind a twelve-week year is that in chunking down our year into four segments of twelve weeks each, we create expanded opportunities for success. When you think about it, this suggestion makes a ton of sense. If we have had challenges during the first three quarters this process may give you the jump start on goals that require accountability and measurement, potentially leading to greater success with goal attainment. A side benefit is that experimenting and success with this process also sets us up for achievement with 2024 goals.
Honoring the Commitment
The Twelve Week Year uses three principles which are the foundation for the process: accountability, commitment and greatness in the moment. Essentially, accountability means you have freedom of choice but once you make the choice you have ownership to see it through. Commitment is the personal promise we make to ourselves once we have made the choice and from the author’s perspective is accountability projected into the future. Gay Hendricks in “The Genius Zone” https://www.geniuszonebook.com shares that it is a must to recommit to our goal every morning. Greatness in the moment refers to the willingness to do the things that lead you into your greatest success-even when you may not want to. James Clear in “Atomic Habits” calls this mastering the decisive moment. The moment when you can choose to honor your commitment or do something else.
Working the Plan
Now that the foundation is in place, action begins in working the plan. The purpose of an effective plan is to clarify and focus behaviors on highest priority initiatives and action steps. This plan becomes your road map to success. John Norcross in “Changeology” also advises that we need a plan prior to engaging with our goals. The author shares that resistance to planning is fed by our drive to begin immediately on the goal relinquishing any roadmap to guide the process. One of the quickest ways to derail change efforts is to not have a plan for how one will reach success. It is only when we give structure to our goals by planning the steps to accomplish them do we increase the opportunities for success. Matthew Kelly in “The Rhythm of Life” includes the question “how am I going to get there” in his list of five questions. Having a goal without a plan to get there typically results in missing the mark. Kelly adds that humanity has been asking this question consciously or unconsciously since the beginning of time which shows that we have understood the importance of planning for a really long time!
Execution
Planning is followed by execution of process which begins with the identification of tools and actions that align daily with the most important steps for ultimate success. Ensuring that you focus your time on critical actions for success is essential to creating the outcomes you want. Milestones and measurements are also critical to staying on track. Often we can identify goals and what actions steps we need in order to accomplish our goals, yet we frequently forget how and what we are going to measure. It is important to have visible measurement processes that you engage in daily. Without a consistent process for checking in with ourselves, we may find that we return to our old habits and forget our commitment to the new behaviors. The final discipline is the use of time. If we are not able to control our time, we will not be able to control our results. This can be a difficult discipline for some as it may mean saying no to some requests and people.
Accomplishing and Celebrating Your Goals
Whether Jack Canfield, David Allen, Brian Moran, Simon Sinek, Gay Hendricks, James Clear or some other authors you like provide you with the tools to finish the year strong, it’s crucial that you have an organizing process that allows you to accomplish your goals. Make your goals visible, measure daily, and get ready to celebrate your accomplishments.
If you are in sales and are still reaching for your 2023 goals, Global IOC has four offerings to support you. Click here for more information on our sales coaching programs.
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