A Goal-Setting Method That Will Change Your Year

At this time of the year, most of my clients are thinking, talking, and working on defining goals. From my experience, there are a few simple steps that can make a difference and completely shift your path to success.

The first step I recommend is reviewing your previous year, acknowledging your progress, what was not ideal, and your wins. Probably, your year was not perfect. You may have set multiple goals, and some of them were left behind, and you didn’t even notice. Now is not the time to be the judge; it is time to be aware.

There is a way to do this review, and maybe the way you are doing it is not empowering you. Let’s explore a real example to illustrate the potential of the method.

When I started the coaching process with an IT leader and entrepreneur, he was frustrated and felt he failed because out of the 10 goals he set for the previous year, he only achieved 4. We can agree that he was in a disempowering mindset when defining his next goals and intentions. As a side note, this is a common pattern among high achievers: the feeling of not enough. Regardless of what they do, something is always missing; there is always something more to achieve.

[The Inflection Point]

Guilty, frustration, and lack may generate results, and for some people, that is normal. It is all fine.

I invited my client to review his year differently. Expand his vision and see beyond the 10 goals he set. The assignment was to review and note the wins and progress. Open his professional and personal calendar and review week after week where he invested his time and energy, taking notes of events, main tasks, projects, experiences, etc.

In the next session, the tension was gone; I could see it on his face. He was excited and shared 10 magical moments from his previous year. A few of them he was not even expecting; it was not in his initial goals, so he was not even counting in his initial year review. He lighted up when he recognized he had a tough year at work, the company was going through difficulties, and the review helped him realize how resilient he became. Feeling proud, he said: “I found a way to make it work.”. The list continued, and he was only getting prouder, brighter, and more excited to acknowledge all he had created.

[The Truth]

After verbalizing his year in review, he realized that he focused on what mattered most to him. The goals that he didn’t achieve, he didn’t even focus on them. He noticed some goals he added just because everybody set similar goals, and he must follow the collective, others were just to make sure he had a big list and a lot to accomplish.

He left our session feeling lighter and aware of the truth.

He was ready to set his goals and intentions for the new year, completely empowered and strong. What a shift in his energy and mindset! Clarity is power, and he will focus on what matters most and energizes him.

[Bonus]

He also realized he could refine his initial goals during the year. Life will happen; it has its ebbs and flows. It is okay to change his mind, and goals are not set in stone. He just needs to ensure he does it from awareness, and it is a conscious decision.

[Invitation]

Now is your turn. What can you discover in your year in review? What may be the things you were not counting and made your year special? What will light you up to define your next goals and set yourself up for success?

I would love to hear your thoughts and/or what makes a difference when you do your review.

Happy goal-setting!