Written by: Dr. Troy Hall, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
How many of you have set new year goals only for them to fizzle out after the first few weeks? In fact, Marcel Schwantes, a world renowned leadership coach, stated in an Inc. Magazine article that roughly 41% of Americans set New Year goals with only 9% successful in achieving them.
That’s not a good track record.
Does this mean to give up?
Throw in the towel?
Skip goal setting?
NO. NO. NO.
I suggest that my clients practice a process called “continuous goals.” It follows a mindset that views goal activity, monitoring, and evaluation on a daily or continuous basis. With a continuous goal process, goals are set daily, as needed, and kept top of mind.
This way, the continuous process encourages setting, doing, monitoring, and reflecting on the goal process all year long.
I am sure we all know someone who is the “going to start this on Monday” kinda guy or gal.
The main flaw in that statement is realizing the moment a goal is set is the moment it actually begins. There is no “wait to Monday” to start because the goal work has already begun.
Let me clarify, it might be appropriate to start the goal officially on Monday for tracking and support purposes. The real issue lies in the thoughts and actions being taken in relation to the goal from the moment of declaring it to when the goal activity first begins.
When to start is not as important as the systems you choose
Be in the goal moment from declaration to achievement. Go full in. Avoid being mediocre.
For me, “Mediocre settles to the bottom then complains about the view.”
The real secret to achieving goals is understanding a proactive mindset is as important as selecting the appropriate systems for the duration of the goal.
Here are five things to do when setting continuous goals
Follow the S.M.A.R.T. goal format. Establish the goal as Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-driven. Put the goal in this format for clarity. Coming up with a goal means there is about a 9% chance of completing it.
Write the goal down (type it electronically). A written goal has about a 40% chance of success.
Speak it out loud to a leadership coach or committed listener and the odds of attaining the goal is now at 70%.
Find the system(s) best able to support the goal and begin. The actions to take will follow the systems selected. Otherwise without identifying the system, the actions taken may end up being a number of different, unconnected activities that don’t work together to obtain the result being sought. The odds of victory have now increased to 90+%
Track, record, and evaluate each week to ensure progress is moving in the direction you seek.
For more insight on Goal Motivation and Attainment, follow this link to get a copy of my 12-system Goal Cheat Code with explanation and examples on how to use them. For more insights into how cohesion positively impacts culture, performance, and engagement, you are invited to download complimentary copies of the electronic and audio versions of my bestselling title, Cohesion Culture: Proven Principles to Retain Your Top Talent.
Follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and you can learn more about my services on my website. I also write a blog, and a bi-weekly newsletter that readers can subscribe to on LinkedIn by clicking here.
Dr. Troy Hall, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Recognized as a top business leader by ValiantCEO magazine and featured on The Today Show, ABC, the Global BV-TV Network, Beyond the Business Radio Show, and CEO World, Dr. Troy Hall is an award-winning talent retention consultant, international speaker, and author of the bestselling titles: Cohesion Culture: Proven Principles to Retain Your Top Talent, Fanny Rules: A Mother’s Leadership Lessons That Never Grow Old, and Back After Burnout.
As the founder of Cohesion Culture™, Dr. Troy has dedicated his career to establishing a cycle of culture wellness in the corporate and professional sphere. His consulting and executive coaching engagements are built on the strategic framework of Cohesion Culture™, making the concepts of belonging, value, and commitment easy for organizations to adopt and implement.
