Looking at the calendar this morning was somewhat jarring. As I sat down to write this, I realized we are approaching the end of April. Just a few short months ago, in January, I set some personal goals for myself and my family. At the same time, my partners and I set some goals for OrangeBall. Now, about one-third of the way through 2019, I’m seeing amazing results on one side and am spinning my wheels on the other.
How can the outcomes be so different?
Let me start with how we handle goal setting as an agency within OrangeBall. We utilize a very purposeful and process-driven strategy for working toward our goals, built on the EOS system. Every Monday we meet as a leadership team to review what we committed to, where we’re at, and where OrangeBall is headed. We use a focused scorecard to measure our progress, and a framework for identifying our issues, what’s holding us back, and the next steps for moving forward. There are accountabilities built in to help us push one another in the areas we are individually responsible for. All of this has created an environment where we are creating our own momentum and growing our business.
My personal goal setting uses a slightly different framework. At the end of 2018, right about the time you were making your New Year’s resolutions, I set my own goals for 2019. It was a fantastic list, and I was careful this year not to bite off more than I could chew. I chose areas in my personal life focused on strengthening my marriage and being a better dad, I added some financial and fitness goals, and daily habits I wanted to build into my life. That 2019 goals list is amazing, focused, strategic… and it’s in a drawer. And, because it’s been months since I saw it or thought about it, I am making little to no progress.
Here are three key differences between the two frameworks, and how you can make sure you’re moving closer to your own goals and not wasting time…
See Them
Too many times, we create a goals list but don’t keep it visible. In a drawer, or on your laptop, your goals list is worthless. The first step in making sure your goals are achieved is to keep them where you can see them daily, not tucked away and hidden.
Measure Them
With your goals out where you can see them regularly, it’s critical that you stop at least once a week to measure your progress. It’s too easy to let weeks or months go by (like I’ve been doing with my personal goals) and not check in to make sure you’re on track. Schedule time with yourself on your calendar each week to reconnect with where you’re headed.
Share Them
I consider myself to be a very driven person, but as you can see with my personal goals, I’m not very good at doing this on my own. Knowing that about myself, I’m also painfully aware of the fact that I need someone else in my circle who will ask me about these goals. That external accountability is critical to me getting where I want to go.
The Takeaway
Like I said in the beginning, it’s April. Take inventory. Four months have passed since the beginning of the year. Are you making traction toward your goals, or feeling stuck? Pull them out, review them, and keep them where you can see them. Schedule time to review them each week. And finally, find someone who will hold you accountable to moving forward and help you when your wheels spin.
2019 is right there, in front of us, ready for us to grab it. Let’s not waste the opportunities we have in front of us this year because we weren’t paying attention. I’ll post about this again in a couple of months to let you know if I’ve turned the corner and have moved any closer to my own personal goals…
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Thank you! – John