S.M.A.R.T Goals for 2011
The holidays and completion of a trip around the Sun seem to make folks reflective. How is 2010 turning out?
Looking at this time next year, what do you want to be able to say about 2011? I’m not talking about your basic new years resolution that in many cases fails to make it through January. I’m talking about goal setting. When I sit with clients, and when I do my goals, we start with that premise and work backwards.
I use a guideline that has been around a while but is still useful, while adding in a dash of what is “really” important. The “really” important things don’t involve making money at all, but seem to keep priorities straight and ultimately facilitates overall success. Volunteering 1 hour a week, making time for a date night with my wife once a month, daily devotional with family. Somewhere down around 5 or 6 I have a financial goal that I break down into how many calls need to be made, emails sent, actions in pipeline.
S.M.A.R.T goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound. Starting with Dec. 31 2011 as your end time, what things can you do that would facilitate your career, personal, family, and spiritual growth?
Script the first plays and last plays of your day: As a football fan, you hear teams that plan the first 5-10 offensive plays. Those 5-10 plays set the foundation, build the momentum, and are practiced over and over to ensure that they provide the best opportunity to win the whole game.
Why the first and last? How much time is wasted in the morning before anything gets accomplished? By having the 3-5 things that you do everyday, is there a good chance that those will get perfected? What would 1 call to an existing or prospective client per day do for your business? A 5 minute stand up meeting with your colleagues to discuss what they are working on for that day in 30 seconds or less. Who needs support, cross-selling opportunities, networking... Have them written on your desk and check them off as you go. At the end of the day, doing those 2-3 things that clear your mind and enable you to go home and focus on something other than work.
This shouldn’t be a grind to do, but empowering. I did a top 100 list about 13 years ago before the term “Bucket List” became vogue. As I do those things, I write about them. One day it will be a fun legacy for my kids to know what I was thinking and feeling when I walked into Yankee Stadium, swam in all 4 oceans, ate a Big Mac in Red Square, and went to Mardi Gras (may keep a few details out of that one). Skydiving, learning Spanish, and learning guitar are on the 2011 list. Let it touch every aspect of your life.
What do you want to happen in 2011?
Andrew Wilcox, President of Wilcox and Hackett, LLC, Andrew@Wilcox-legal.com, 850-893-8984
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I find what works for me is a goal setting app called GoalsOnTrack and it has worked very well. It saves me a lot of time in keeping track of my goals and most importantly it helps me better organize my daily todos towards achieving my goals. You may want to check it out.
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