It’s that time of year again…
Resolutions. Renewed Focus. Dreamcasting. Goal Setting.
No matter what you are committing yourself to this year, anyone serious about accomplishing set goals will have to embrace the prioritization of thoughts and habits in order to see their desires come to life. Here are some day-to-day tips that might help you actualize your professional goals in 2016 (in no particular order):
- Write your goals down on paper and revisit them often with further thoughts, questions, and actionable next steps. If possible, place this paper somewhere visible (e.g., desk, office wall, etc.).
- Tell a mentor or trusted colleague about what you hope to accomplish this year and ask them to check in with you each month or quarter to track progress.
- Create attainable milestones and schedule them out on your calendar and share it with someone you trust as an overall plan.
- Resist the urge to be sidetracked by too many goals. Try to prioritize and accomplish one to two goals at a time. Which goals matter most to you? Work on those first. Think priority over ease.
- Minimize the noise of social media and other unnecessary distractions. Focus on the task at hand. Enter a season where your goal becomes priority without your need to share it with others or be “in the know”. Put down your phone. It’s going to be okay.
- Learn something new about what you’re hoping to accomplish (e.g., read a book on the topic, attend a seminar or workshop, interview others who do it well, etc.).
- Do something small each day. Your accomplishment will be the collective result of many small action steps that may appear insignificant at the time. Keep moving forward and never underestimate the life-shaping power of a small act.
If you feel that this all sounds like common sense, it is. It’s just uncommon practice in a busy world that loves the thought of executing ideas but rarely gets to them. Keep pressing on. Your goals are too important not to pursue.
Think Big. Start Small. Keep Moving.
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