At the end of the summer I decided to improve my fitness level. Crossfit is a great conditioner, but struggling to breathe after 10 minutes is a serious wake up call as the rest of the group keeps swinging kettles and flipping tires (those big tractor ones).
As I shared my frustration in trying to keep up, my wife asked me why I was torturing myself this way. I realized I didn’t have any idea beyond some vague sense of getting in better shape. After 4 months I was still just trying to survive each session, and was spending a lot of mental energy picking apart the trainer’s vindictive exercises, trying to determine why I couldn’t finish strong every time. LIGHT BULB!:
No goals
No ability to measure success
No ability to experience the satisfaction of progress
Frustration
Typically we wait until January to determine what we will focus on for the year. January 1 is an arbitrary date. One year is an arbitrary duration. START NOW! What can you achieve in the remainder of the year?
Last week I shifted my energy from frustration to goal-setting in the areas of life important to me:
- Health (Mental, Physical, Spiritual, Relational)
- Growth (Skills, Travel)
- Thought Leadership (Innovation)
- Financial (Sales, Savings, Investments, Philanthropy)
Use whatever categories suit you. Chunking goals into groups helps keep it straight in your mind. You can’t remember 15 individual goals, but you can recall 12 organized into 4 categories.
Don’t stop with goals. What will enable success? Effective leaders map out:
- Annual Achievements
- Weekly Routines
- Daily Disciplines
And what underlies those? Your ability to achieve your goals is driven by values and attitude.
I’m still going to the gym, but I’ve set the target to something I can work towards daily and weekly. Energy reclaimed!
Circumstances change. Re-focusing your goals is needed periodically. All you need is 20 minutes, a pen and a sheet of paper. No time like the present!
Thoughtfully Yours,
Jeff
Everyone needs a good coach. I’m working with VPs, Partners and CEOs now to get set for a 2018 Fast Start. I’d be happy to help you get set for success!
Jeff works with growing businesses and aspiring non-profits to help them establish and execute leading strategies. He also works with executives who want to accelerate their growth. Learn more about Jeff here.
