It’s January, so inevitably everyone is talking about goals. We all have them, even if we may not be aware of them or stick to them, but it’s well-known that if you write them down you’re more likely to achieve your goals.
For those who did write down their goals last year, I recommend digging them out to see which of your goals you did achieve or are on track to achieve. Are your goals still the same or did something happen along the way to make you change your goals?
There are many different models for sticking to your goals (micro goals, macro goals, smart goals) but at Selling Savvy we have our very own SAVVY way of setting and sticking to goals.
S-et the bar high. We hear a lot about setting realistic goals, but what is the fun or even point in that? Anyone can achieve a realistic goal, but what about dreaming big and aiming high? What would be a goal that if you achieved it, you would explode with happiness? Take that goal and write it down.
A-cceptable timeframe. Think of the timeline for this goal and when you would like to achieve it. What would be an acceptable timeframe for you? For example, if your goal is to run a marathon and you’ve never run before, don’t expect to get there in a month. We tend only to look at goals for the next 12 months, however this means you may never write down your long term goal and therefore it keeps slipping away. Remember, if you write it down, it’s more likely to happen.
V-ariety. Your goals should not be about 1 aspect of your life. Even in your professional goals you should think about what you’d like to achieve as a person rather than for the business. Think about personal development, work-life balance, promotions, side hustles or anything that makes you happy. For your personal goals, it doesn’t have to be about achievement in terms of exercise or performance, it could be something as simple as growing your own vegetables or buying that painting you’ve always wanted. Think happiness and think variety.
V-erify Most people will write down their goals and never look at them again. It’s good for the soul to check in on your goals regularly, so you can remind yourself of what they are, if you’re on track or if your goals have changed. You can change your goals at any time, these are your goals after all. Life throws a lot of curveballs, so what may have been important to you a year ago, may not seem so important to you now and may come back again in the future.
Y-ou, you you. Your goals should be set by you. Don’t let anyone else influence your goals or even worse, set your goals for you. If you don’t believe in the goals what chance do you have of achieving them? That doesn’t mean you can’t share your goals with anyone, in fact I would encourage it, because sharing them with another person means you’ll be more inclined to make them happen.
Goal setting can and should be fun, so take a moment to think about your goals and imagine how you will feel when you have achieved them. Good luck and we’d love to hear them if you’d like to share.
