Are You a Finisher? Four Steps to Help You Finish Strong
We often start a new year with a list of new creative goals we want to accomplish. These goals range from living healthy and career planning to personal and spiritual self-development. We start strong then temporary failures, discouragement, and poor planning take us off track. How are you doing with finishing 2020? This year has proven to be a year of unknown and constant change. I’m sure that you, like me, set goals in January, then March hit you like a ton of bricks and some of your goals disappeared. For many, goals went out of the window due to the rocky terrain we experienced called 2020.
Like you, I found it difficult to accomplish goals that once had me so excited. I’m an extreme extrovert and love connecting with people, so having speaking engagements and meetings disappear from my calendar during those first weeks of the pandemic was tough. Of course, spending time with family has been invaluable, but I still had to ask myself the question, “what do I do next?” I had to learn how to navigate a new norm that would prove to be challenging. I asked myself how I can grow and become better when the odds seemed to be against me. How can I reach the goals I set out to accomplish? Throughout the questioning, I knew I had to make a decision. Would I allow (what seemed to be) impossible situations to get me off track and lose focus, or would I allow it to catapult me into something new?
That is my question for you. Even though you may have experienced a detour or distraction, you can still get back on track. Don’t allow this time to drive stagnation; let it drive accelerated growth! I made the decision to evolve. I looked at how I can better support my community and personally develop myself. I looked at what I can do and who I wanted to become. You can do the same thing! And guess what? It’s not too late! I encourage you to evolve. Don’t let your circumstances cause you to pause—move forward!
Whether your desire is to accomplish personal goals or you’re leading a team, I want to share some principles that will help you achieve your goals even in the middle of a constantly changing environment.
Reflect and Reassess
Sometimes it can be easy to look back and see what we haven’t done or what has gone wrong. Don’t get stuck there. Don’t just reflect; reassess. Consider where you currently are and where you want to be. The time between here and there is called growth and determination. Don’t wait until the beginning of the week, next month, or next year. Start today, and ask yourself these reflective questions:
· Am I doing purposeful work?
· What obstacles seem to be holding me back from achieving my goals?
· What good things do I need to stop doing so I can do great things?
· Who do I need to partner with to help me accomplish my goals?
Starting here will help you effectively lead yourself to success!
First Things First - Focus on Your Why
Knowing your why is critical to goal commitment and longevity. When the temptation to quit is knocking at your door—and it will often—knowing and believing in your why is what will keep you motivated to continue. I have a weekly goal sheet and it contains my why. Your why has to be the most important thing you keep front and center, even before setting your goals. It takes you from having the dream to living the dream.
Are you trying to discover your why? It is the ultimate purpose of your existence and significance in life. I truly believe that everyone is born with a specific purpose. It’s what you were made for. It’s that thing that fuels you, the thing you think and talk about often, the thing you are passionate about. It’s when you make the comment “if only I could do this.” I remember someone saying to me “maybe you are the solution to the issue you constantly talk about.” I encourage you to write down your why before you start working on your goals. Start today, and ask yourself these questions:
· What solutions have I thought of to make life better for others?
· What would I do for free?
· What am I really good at doing?
· What do other people say I do extremely well?
· Where do I find the greatest fulfillment?
Avoid Procrastination
Procrastination is defined by the action of delaying or postponing something (New Oxford American Dictionary). Procrastination is a dream killer and goal killer. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” This life lesson is critical because there is a chance we will not do what we set out to do if we continue to put things off until tomorrow. I know what it feels like to be excited about goal-planning and still being excited after the first few weeks. However, it can be easy to become disinterested when we see no productivity or quick results. You can avoid this goal killer by taking these practical steps:
· Know that you are worthy of accomplishing big goals.
· Make bite-sized daily, weekly, and monthly goals.
· Track your progress and celebrate your small wins.
· Repeat & keep going.
Embrace Accountability
Being accountable is imperative to accomplishing any goal. Setting clear goals and not having accountability is like going to school and never receiving a report card. How can you measure if you are meeting your goals if you don’t hold yourself accountable? Most people don’t like accountability partners because of the embarrassment experienced when not having completed a task. Yes, there is pressure to achieve your goals when being held accountable, so the buddy system really does propel you forward. I encourage you to embrace and not fight against what is crucial for accomplishing your goals. I recently had a goal-setting session with a good friend, Cynthia Baker Jackson. After accomplishing a goal, she proclaims, “one goal met, another one set.”
Fulfilling your purpose is essential for you, your family, your business, and your community. Set purposeful goals, meet them, and start all over again. Don’t quit, I repeat don’t quit! Your commitment to finishing impacts others, so you need to finish strong!
Don’t wait until the start of 2021, start today!
Happy Holidays!
La-Kita
“Be a Leader Worth Following”