Three Goal-Setting Ideas That Won’t Make Your Head Spin
Do you feel an internal groan when you hear the term goal-setting? I know I do. I immediately flash back to the days of having to do homework. I would tell myself the same thing every Friday. “I will get my homework done right away so that I can enjoy the weekend.” It never happened. When did homework get done? Of course, late Sunday night. I hated that I would worry about getting to my work all weekend and still not make myself do it until the last minute.
It’s hard to stay disciplined when there are loads of distraction. If I don’t watch all those cat videos and share them, who will?
Over the years, I’ve gotten much better about jumping on the work at hand and getting things done. I’ve also learned that some procrastination is not a terrible thing. Walking away from my desk and clearing my head, helped me find solutions to problems.
The question is, how to balance all of the work that needs to get done and not feel so overwhelmed?
Goal setting is not a one size fits all. We all have different ideas of what will work for us. I can tell you to write a list of all that you need to get done in a day and then check it off one by one. For some people that works. For others they will tell you that their day can change on a dime.
I understand that. I sold wine and spirits to restaurants, nightclubs and hotels all over Manhattan. I would plan my day the night before and by the morning it would all fall apart. Deliveries weren’t made, invoices were overdue, accounts had to cancel their appointments. I had quotas that needed to be reached and I would have to develop a new game plan at the last minute. My goal-setting ideas changed and developed over the years.
What is the one thing you need to accomplish to be successful at your job? If it’s taking videos of cats, please let me know if you are hiring. Most likely, it’s staying on task and getting the day’s agenda done.
I present to you three different ways to set your goals, and attain them. You can choose one or two or combine them into your own personal goal setting plans.
The Pomodoro Technique - The Ivy Lee Method - Accountability Strategy
What is the one thing you know you have to do for your business that you won’t do or try to avoid for as long as possible? If that’s your scenario then The Pomodoro Technique may be what you need.
Here’s the idea. You set a timer for 25 minutes. You do nothing but that job you’ve been avoiding. No one can talk to you, no looking at your phone.and no cat videos. You just immerse yourself into that one task. Once the timer rings, take a break. When you are ready, set the timer again and get to work on the next item.
This helps you set boundaries, especially when others are constantly needing your attention. Everyone will have to wait at least 25 minutes before they can speak to you. Letting constant interruptions happen, keeps you from getting your own work done.
If you find you have several tasks that need your attention all at once you may want to try The Ivy Lee Method. The idea is to establish the night before, the six most pressing things you need to do. Start with the most important task first and ending with the least important one. When you get to work you will know exactly what project you are tackling head on. When you have completed it to your satisfaction, you will start the second task. If you don’t get to all six by the end of the day, list the ones you didn’t get to. You will then only add more projects for a total of six to work on the next day.
The wonderful way this works is it forces you to decide what is the real priority that you need to get done. You don’t waste time trying to figure out what to do first thing in the morning. When we eliminate the tasks that don’t really help in achieving our goals we start to realize how much more we can get accomplished. All of sudden, you will have more time watching those cute cat videos.
If motivation is needed to get you to stay on track then The Accountability Strategy with another person may be the answer for you. You both help each other reach your goals. This is the method that worked for me when I decided to start my own business. It’s a fun way to work on your objectives because it does feel a bit like a game or competition.. Think about it, you want to keep your side of the bargain up. If only one of you is doing the work then you both lose. You feel bad that she can’t seem to get it together and she feels bad because she is letting you down by not sticking with the plan. If you have someone you can rely on to hear your ideas and be encouraging then taking the necessary steps becomes exciting. Of course, you need to do the same for her.
Make a standing appointment at least every two weeks to meet and compare notes. Discuss various options to get over stumbling blocks and put a plan in place. Decide on what actions need to be taken to accomplish the next steps. Before long a road map will start to emerge and you’ll find a clear path to your success.
A little planning goes a long way. You won’t feel as anxious or stressed as you go through your day. You will have a solid plan of action to follow. When the weekend comes you will not have to worry about any homework. You can sit back, relax and watch as many cat videos that you want.