Goals and I are best friends.
The setting them part.
The always crossing them off victoriously? Depends on the year.
On New Year’s Eve my husband and I for the past 15 years have sat down and written out goals for us individually, and as a family to work towards, and it’s a time I look forward to more than anything all year.
Now before you walk away because #goals are so out this year (and words of the year are in), hear me out.
I know what you were missing all those times you set goals for yourself personally, or professionally, and didn’t hit them.
The Turn Back Time Review of the Year
That’s about as fancy as I can get with naming things (#totallynotmyskill).
It’s a simple 5 step process that will transform how you look at and even set goals.
It was so earth-moving for myself that I no longer wait until Dec. 31 to set goals for myself professionally.
How it Works:
I’m about to give you a series of 5 questions to ask yourself as you think about the current year you’re in. Some answers will come to you immediately. I’d challenge you to mull over them for a period of hours/days and come back to them. Your instant answers aren’t always the most accurate reflection of your year.
Question 1: What went right in 2018?
When you think about what went right, literally start cataloging the wins in your life. If you struggle to celebrate wins (like almost every single female entrepreneur I’ve met), then pull out your calendar of this year and go month by month to see what you worked on, who you worked with, what you launched, etc.
You have WAY more wins then you’ll give yourself credit for.
Question 2: What worked well?
Instead of thinking of quick wins, this question forces you to think more long-term about what you worked on that’s performing or giving you a ROI. Look over your wins and you should see some trends. What made your wins a win? What did you focus on? What brought in more leads? What raised your revenue? Who did you work with or work for?
Question 3: What needs improving?
This one should be the easiest, yet most painful question to answer. When you look at your wins and what worked, it’s also easy to see all of a sudden by viewing your work at a whole year at a time to see what’s glaringly wrong. What should you change? What needs to stop? What’s draining your time and energy and money? What was a struggle this year that you don’t want to experience again next year?
Question 4: What did you learn?
Put together the a-has! of the year. Based on what you want to improve, what’s working and what you consider to be a win, what can you learn from this year? Even if it was the worst year ever, or you did things you’re hating right now, it’s not a failure — it’s a lesson. So learn from it.
Question 5: What was the biggest takeaway?
If you had to pick one thing as your biggest takeaway from this year, what would it be? How would you summarize what you want to focus on now?
Can you see how getting crystal clear on how THIS year went will make all the difference for how and what goals you set for yourself in 2019 and beyond?
If I hadn’t asked myself these questions, I would have been doing far too many things in 2019 still, taking on types of work I hate and missing the biggest lesson I truly learned in 2018.
Now, you’re ready for the next lesson: how to be a #goalcrusher
