Noone can deny that we are all going through an unprecedented time in 2021! Let’s admit that emotions are running high and some days and weeks feel endless while others may fly by. But no worries, you are not alone in this.
Let’s say it’s almost normal that 2021 distorts our perception of how quickly days turn into weeks and months. Finally, the year is almost over as we have been waiting for a miracle for things to go back to normal. We are now about to enter the last phase of 2021 and it’s time to start thinking about your 2022 goals as things will be different from now on, and it is the perfect time to adapt your hopes and dreams, your projects and plans to our new reality!
Let’s talk about the figures a bit: According to Forbes “92% of people fail to reach their goals. And 25% of people stopped working towards their goals after just the first week!”
So, why does this happen and why people cannot achieve their goals and just give up?
They fail due to a lack of planning. Goal setting is an art and takes a lot of tenacity and laser focus. One project at a time! In addition, oftentimes we do not devote enough time to actually planning our goals. And we may fail because we believe it is sufficient to just have a goal. Also consider: How clear is your goal? Is it just a dream? How possible is it to achieve it? How much time will you need? What are the steps?
There is a proven method that should be applied when you set any goal. Here we share with you some tips about how to set goals and turn them into reality.
1. Set a big goal but break down it into a series of small goals, then celebrate and keep going
Before you set your 2022 goals, you should look back on the previous year and reflect upon what went well and what went wrong. Identify the areas where you were successful and the areas that need to be worked on in the New Year. While doing this, consider your achievements, the skills you improved and the times you went out of your comfort zone and dared to try something new. Then think about what you wish you could have done better and the areas you struggled with. In this way, you will be able to understand more clearly and see concretely what you have to do in order to have a successful year.
Dream Big, as important projects are always more exciting and inspiring, but when it comes to achieve these big goals, it is the best way to break down it into a series of small goals. Otherwise, it can be daunting in the early days and it can cause to lose your motivation to reach this big goals.
2. Make sure you are SMART in your goal setting
What is a SMART goal?
SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. Below, we’ll demonstrate how to turn a goal like “I want to increase my profits” into a SMART goal.
- Specific – Ask yourself these questions: Is your goal specific enough or is it too broad? To achieve this goal what needs to be done and what steps you need to take? Why do you want to reach your goal? Make your goals as clear and specific as possible!
Example: I want to increase my profits while cutting down costs. Reducing operational cost will give room to the growth of profits and moving to a more affordable establishment will contribute to invest less money for the fixed property.
- Measurable – How can you measure your progress? What evidence will prove you’re making progress?
Example: I will increase sales for an upcoming product over the next 3 months by creating a new sales funnel strategy and signing in 20 more potential clients.
- Achievable – Have you set an attainable goal? Can your goal actually be achieved?
Example: I will improve customer retention rate, build a strong network, gain new customers through promoting my business in different channels and using referrals. This will help me find more leads and therefore see to an increase in revenue for the business.
- Relevant – Does your goal align with your values and long-term goals? Why is this goal important for you?Is the goal worth it?
Example: Moving to a cheaper place will reduce the operational costs and increasing the automation in the process will save time by %15 and reduce managing cost by %7.
- Time – What’s your goal time frame to achieve it?
Example: I will have increased my profit by the end of the coming three months.
3. Understand why this goal is important for you and don't let others set the goals for you
It is crucial for you to understand why your goal is important to you. The more clear you are the easier it will become to reach whatever is on your list! If you cannot find the answer to that question, then your target is just randomly set! Understanding the why will give you a stronger sense of purpose, and it will keep you motivated even if the things do not go as you expected. In order to achieve the goal, you need to have a strong why. In this way, you will keep your eyes on the reward and never give up in tough times. There will always be obstacles that may slow you down or even change your path.
Oftentimes other people have big dreams and goals for us. If we live someone elses’ dream though, you will likely not give it your all and you may resent the other person at some point. You may convince yourself that the goal is yours but the conviction that it is the perfect goal for you may crumble at some point! This will prevent you from making a commitment to that goal. Additionally, test the feasibility of your goal for you may lose faith in your goal if it is too big to tackle, too complicated or involves too many factors that you cannot control.
You know yourself better than anyone else, so do ever let anyone tell you, you cannot!
4. Track Your Performance and make changes if needed
You should keep track of your performance and review your progress time to time – weekly, monthly, every two weeks. It depends on your goal and what works for you. But the more frequently you check in on your progress toward your goal, the more likely you are to achieve it.
The purpose of pursuing your goals is to see where you are at your goal path. In that way you can see how far behind or ahead of our goal, and this status update tells you if you need to make a change in order to reach your goal.
If you lead a team, you should also share the progress with the team and keep them updated. When things get tough, hearing progress from the team leader would motivate team members. Sometimes due to the work intensity, you concentrate solely on the task given to you and as a team member you cannot see the overall frame. In this case, getting informed by the team leader about the positive progress of the project is being made and hearing that you are almost in the finishing line would encourage you to make that last move, no matter how tired you are!
5. Find ways to stick your goals and motivate yourself to achieve them
There are so many factors that might cause you falling off track especially in times of crisis. Sometimes you just feel overwhelmed or get distracted from other things happening around you. When you feel ‘off’ or think your goal is too far to reach, just step back, take a deep breath and think wisely. You don’t always have to take big steps. In such a case, small step by step goals in the right direction will help you to achieve your major one.
Motivation is another way to keep you going. When you feel reluctant or your goals start to seem impossible to reach, you have to find your motivation that will keep you on track. If you are struggling how to motivate yourself, here are a few things you can do:
- Create an empowering vision board to visualize your goals and keep it somewhere you can see it every day. It will regularly remind you what you’re striving towards and a bright, positive future for yourself.
- Use exercise daily to improve your mental health and take a moment to yourself. You can watch this video to have an optimistic outlook and try to do one of these exercises.
- Achieve your goals through friendly competition! Find an accountability partner who is going through a similar process as you and pushing you to reach your goals and do more!
- Find ways to reward yourself with things that get you closer to your goals
- Find mentors, social or support groups
So, why you need a coach to transform your life or business?
As Bill Gates said “Everyone needs a coach”
Why do you think even Bill Gates, who has almost everything in his life, needs a coach like everyone?
Because, so many times it’s hard to step back, get the big picture and evaluate when you are in the middle of a situation and how deep you are in it. It’s so easy to get lost. When you make your decisions, you only see things from one perspective, mostly thinking of how they affect certain people, forgetting about others. But having a coach by your side will help you see things from another perspective. A coach can give you contructive feedbacks to improve your performance, to reinforce your good habits, to inspire and to motivate you. A coach always reminds you of your goals, even if you forget them from time to time and keeps you loyal to them. That’s why successful business people like Bill Gates and professional athletes have coaches. Because they think bigger, want more and keep getting better!
Find a coach you can trust and see a real difference in your success! If you want to talk to a trustable coach, you can book your free 30-minute coaching session with Katja Hansel.
Good morning and happy New year. I saw all you said and am happy to hear that. Am into engineering and Structural drawings work and I am a fabricator also. My problem in my field of work is that is very hard to meet clients that will give me contract to become someone in life. I have a family as well and is very hard for me to put food on the table for my family. Something I do think if I made a mistake to be come an engineer or should I change the field of my profession. Pls I need your help on what to do and your advice thanks.