Week 3: RESOLVE
Today we RESOLVE new, purposeful goals to help us get what we really, really want.
In week 1, we Looked Back before we Looked Ahead to appreciate all the things we gained but never acknowledged as specific goals. We got to REFLECT on what mattered to us and adjusted our mindset realizing we accomplish significantly more than we remember.
During week 2, we took a fine-tooth comb to analyze those accomplishments to RESONATE on what felt good. While life does require us to push harder and work around issues to get what we want, many of us have become a little too hard of workers. Do you have trouble saying no? Are you struggling with work life balance? Is that only because other people are requiring too much from you? Are you owning your piece by setting healthy boundaries and providing feedback?
In coaching, we find clients are often constraining themselves inappropriately with old belief systems. For example, “loyalty and integrity are personal values of mine so I’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done. But, I’m getting very burned out. I’m tired of sacrificing all the other things I want and feel like I deserve in my life after working this hard. Does anyone even realize how hard I’m working?”
Is it time to start living life according to what feels right vs old belief systems that no longer serve us? Can I give myself permission to do what feels good vs. pushing harder or sucking it up or thinking I should just be happy enough where I am with what I have even if my soul longs for more?
Life is short. I RESOLVE to do things in flow with what I really want and trust pursuing this path will align me to my greatest good.
With this refreshed perspective on what RESONATED, we’re refreshing our goals for the coming year.
Let’s RESOLVE to call our goals today our next year of Achievements!
This is the largest homework assignment of all 4 parts of Putting the FUN back in Strategic Planning. Consider that you’ll be spending at least an hour on this.
What is it you really want?
Perhaps you already have some goals for this year. Assess whether these are still the things you want. Are you daunted by what’s ahead already?
“We often spend so much time feeling overwhelmed by the Mount Everest we’re planning to climb this year that we fail to appreciate the Mount Everest we climbed last year.”
-Laurie Hall
Refreshing Goals Instructions:
Step 1: If you haven’t done this recently, take a values assessment to determine your motivations right now. Our values can change over time, and the last few years certainly crystalized what mattered to us. Let your values light the way of what you really, really want to show up in your life. Here is a link to our favorite, complimentary values assessment.
Step 2: Simon Sinek said it best in this TED talk. “People don’t by WHAT you do they buy WHY you do it.” We align with other people’s WHY. It’s motivating, it’s inspiring, and it’s authentic. My WHY is to be a positive, sustainable influence in people’s lives. What’s your WHY? Why do you do everything you do? Why do you show up the way you do at work, at home, and in line at the grocery store? Watch this TED talk to determine what your WHY is right now.
Step 3: Make a list of the things that you’d like to see happen in your career, business, and life in the coming year. List at least 15 ideas. These can be simple, such as learning to play golf. Or they can be metrics such as closing at least 3 new executive coaching clients each month.
Step 4: Do a double check to make sure these are the things that you are truly motivated to do this year. For example, if I’ve written a goal such as “Get my LinkedIn Profile finally finished” even in the way that goal is written I’m creating wasted energy. I’m already self-deprecating for something I feel I “should” have already done. Don’t should all over yourself! It’s completely wasted energy. If you needed it already you would have already finished it. Acknowledge that you were doing other things that mattered more at that time which were necessary. And you still are. If finishing something like your LinkedIn profile is something that genuinely feels like it’s the right time to work on, make sure your goal language reflects that. Try this “Find a fun way to get my LinkedIn profile to a point where I feel good about it.”
Step 5: (this is a get-ahead for next week) Create categories for your life, career, and business that can align with what matters the most to you right now. This helps you ensure you have balanced goals in all areas. For example, a business owner will have categories for goals in business. But, if owners don’t take care of themselves personally, their businesses don’t run. We must have our personal goals not only identified but balanced with the work we do to have a successful business.
Example categories are Administrative, Sales, Marketing, Professional Development, Content, and Self-Care. But choose the ones that work for you (such as Relationships, Career, Home, Finances, and Health). After I list my goals, I denote which category (or categories) that goal fits into. It doesn’t have to be perfectly balanced, but I want to make sure I’m not forgetting something like “Take a vacation with my spouse once a quarter.”
Clarity on what we want that has basted in a clear REFLECTION and RESONATION of our purpose attracts it to us. Make your intentions known. Add some fun and creativity to your planning process. And, tell those around you what you’re working towards so that they can support you along the way.
That’s the tool for part 3 of your strategic planning journey! Reference more tools on the following posts and bookmark this site to come back to whenever you want to spend more time with it.
Happy Planning!!