by Scott Rosberg
Happy New Year! I hope all of you have had a great holiday season and that you have been able to rest, rejuvenate, and refocus for the coming new year. It is always hard to believe how quickly the last year went and the new year has shown up.
I know that last time I told you I would be talking about my team's Core Covenants this time. However, as today is the start of the new year, this is a great time to talk about goals and the importance of goal-setting. Whether you are a coach or not, goal-setting can be an extremely important element for you to create your future success in any endeavor.
Goal-setting is a great exercise to engage in, no matter what time of year it is. But most people tend to focus on their goals at the start of a new year (though they usually call them "resolutions"). Chances are that last year around this time, you made some New Year’s Resolutions for what you wanted to accomplish during the year. Were you able to stay on track and follow through on your resolutions and meet the goals that you set for yourself?
As you embark upon 2024, take time to figure out what you hope to accomplish. Create some goals for yourself, your family, your team, and your career. But once you have those goals created, there is a very important step to take to give you the best chance at achieving those goals. Figure out a plan and a system for working towards achieving those goals.
Too often people create resolutions and goals, but they have no plan for going out and getting what it is they seek. They believe that if they have the goal that is enough to get them on the right track to achieve it. This thinking is flawed because it does not provide a method for achieving the goal.
One person that I have learned a lot about goal-setting from is a man named Michael Hyatt. While Michael Hyatt is not a household name for many people, in the world of entrepreneurship and achievement, he is a mentor to people trying to become all that they are capable of becoming.
A few years ago, Michael Hyatt made some very good points on his podcast to consider when creating your own goals:
1. While we look at a new year as a blank slate and a great time to begin the process of
working towards our goals, each day is a blank slate, too. Consider what you want to
achieve each day, week, and month in the same way you look at what you want to
achieve in any given year.
2. Prioritize your goals. They do not all carry the same level of importance, so they
shouldn’t all be treated the same. Also, some goals affect other goals, so recognize
what needs to be done first to help you accomplish the other ones. Try listing them from
most important to least important.
3. Clarity & Visibility - you must be clear about what you want, and you must see it on a
consistent basis. Post goals where you can see them. Review them regularly, preferably
daily. “If you lose visibility of your goals, you will fail.”
4. Focus on 7-10 goals for the year. Too few and you don’t address all the major areas of
your life or you are too general. Too many and it will be difficult for you to focus on them
properly.
5. Track your goals. “You can’t improve what you don’t measure.” Why do coaches and
teams track a variety of statistics? So they know what they need to work on most. The
same goes for you.
6. Review your goals occasionally throughout the year. Depending upon how they are
going, you should either re-commit, revise, or remove certain goals. It is good to set your
goals outside of your comfort zone. Otherwise, they will not push you and stretch you to
new growth. Fear, uncertainty, or doubt about your goals are good things.
7. Identify your Core Motivation. It will help you get through the “messy middle.” Connect
with your “Why,” so you can power through times where you are struggling to stay
focused on accomplishing your goals.
8. An unrealized goal does not mean you are a failure. Some of the best lessons you will
ever learn, you will learn from failure. You have to complete the process of the failure, so
that it doesn’t come out in unhealthy ways. If you realize that failure isn't final but only
feedback, you are so much better equipped to succeed in the future. Embrace your
failures and use them to your benefit.
“Some of those things that are the most painful are the most valuable. If you call it a
failure and feel like it’s a failure, and you put a period at the end of that sentence,
then it is. But if you can shift it and transform it and see it as some kind of
opportunity to learn and grow, it becomes a springboard for your goal.”- Michelle
Cushatt
“Your past does not equal your future.”- Tony Robbins
9. Share your goals selectively, not publicly. Research shows us that the problem with
announcing your goals publicly is that your brain thinks you have already achieved it, so
you get the same satisfaction as if you have already achieved your goal. However, don’t
keep goals private. Share them selectively with people who are there for you, who will
encourage you, and who will hold you accountable without engaging in negative talk
around you.
It is important to have goals. However, we should not focus so much on the outcomes and the results as on the process of getting those results. We need to focus on the work ethic, discipline, and mental toughness necessary to fight through and achieve all that we can. By focusing on the process, we are focused on things we can control. No matter where you are in life, setting goals can be a great way to work towards achieving the things you seek to achieve.
Next time we will shift our focus to the standards and Core Covenants that my team has developed for this season. (Yeah right, Scott! That's what you said the last two times!) Have a Happy New Year, and best of luck to you in the process of setting and achieving your own goals.