Reclaim the Rest of Your Year
Woah! Can you believe that the last quarter of the year is just around the corner? If you are anything like me you spend so much time with your head down, nose to the grind-stone that time flies in a blink! That’s awesome, but I’ve found that busyness doesn’t always mean I’m productive so I’m taking some time this week to regroup and make sure that I’m on track to accomplish my goals for the year. Feeling unsure of where you stand in the goal crushing category? Keep reading and let’s slay this last quarter together!
Where are those goals anyway?
In the past I would write out my goals for the year in a notebook and then (I’m just being honest) who knows where that notebook would wind up … If that’s you sit down and rewrite your top 3 goals that you want to accomplish for the rest of the year and put them in a place where you can review them weekly. I use my bullet journal for this. My annual goals are on a page and then each month I review them to determine what I need to do this month to bring me closer to accomplishing them. That monthly goals page then is also reviewed weekly when I do my Sunday planning for the week and then daily as I plan out my Top 3 Must Do’s for the day.
Sound complicated? It’s really not. Strategy is the key to accomplishing anything. It’s easy to set an intention to do something, but execution requires focused, strategic planning. This type of review for me is second nature to me now that it’s a habit and by making it a priority I never feel like I’m lost in the wilderness, not sure what I need to do. And, if you are like me and people try to hijack your time and attention, you can still feel accomplished and in control when you check off your Top 3 at the end of a crazy day full of unplanned chaos.
Make It Fun!
Don’t make goal setting boring, methodical and all business. I actually really enjoy setting my goals each month and here is how I make it fun:
A couple of months ago someone in a group I’m in posted a picture of her monthly goals and they were written in different colored markers. I was so impressed I immediately adopted that into my monthly goal setting practice. I also add some doodles to the page for inspiration so that my monthly goal page is lively and uplifting when I look at it. You could add stickers, decorate your page with washi-tape, or anything creative that inspires you. This way when you review your goals each week your energy is lifted and your vibration is high.
Fuel Your Fire
Make sure that a couple of times each week you are listening to something that inspires you to keep chasing your dreams. Everytime I listen to a team training, motivational speaker, or strategic podcast I feel inspired to stay on task and keep my goals front and center. Keeping your fire stoked is the surest way to motivate you to do the hard and mundane things that we need to do to crush our goals. Make sure you are intentional about adding logs to your fire each week!
Progress Not Perfection
If you are a Type A, perfectionist, personality like me goal setting can sometimes become another measuring stick that we use to beat ourselves up with. Over the last few years I’ve learned to adopt the Progress, Not Perfection mindset and consider my efforts alone as benchmarks of success rather than the on-time completion of my goals. So many productivity guru’s will tell you to set time limits on your goals - and that’s great - but I had to learn that not everything happens in the timeframe I want them to and that’s OK. As long as I am consistently moving toward my goals through focused, intentional action I will celebrate that as success. If I don’t make it in the timeline I had hoped I will accept that as divine timing and be open to the right timing for my life.
Share Your Accomplishments
Nothing will keep you on track with your goals like a little public accountability and support. Share with people you know and trust what you are running for and the successful completion of milestones along the way. Their encouragement and support as you chase your dreams will keep that fire burning and probably inspire them too! We are all better together so find a safe space and celebrate your sucesses!
Hot digity-dog! Are you as pumped as me? There is still plenty of time to crush your goals for this year with a little bit of focus and inspired action - now let’s get to it!