It’s the end of Q1 for the calendar year 2022 and a very good moment to do a goals check-in. That simply entails looking at where you’re at now versus where you were planning to be around this time.
Why do we want to do this?
Because everyone and every business gets off track in pursuit of their goals. It’s normal.
It’s pretty much inevitable.
In fact, I always remind my Coaching clients that it’s not an issue if you get off track.
The most important thing is to have a system that catches you when you do get off track. Then you can quickly realign and get back on. Understand what I’m saying here?
We’re all human, we get distracted. Life happens. Important and urgent things come up…
So, plan for that.
That’s why you should have a check-in system.
And that’s why I’m asking you to check-in now.
So, let’s do it:
Step 1: Assess progress
Get out your written goals for the year. Based on the goals you have and their timelines, are you on-track to achieving them by their due date? A simple yes/no answer is all we need here.
Step 2: Adjust your actions or the deadline
While goals are the guideposts to get us where we want to go or to achieve a specific outcome, they must always be flexible. At this moment of goal check-in it’s time for you to exercise that goal flexibility! If you are not on-track to complete a goal by its deadline, you can do one of two things:
- Adjust the deadline to a more realistic date when you expect to complete the goal
- Adjust your actions that are creating the goal outcome (so you can achieve it at the current deadline)
Several factors will influence your choice between these two options including, the context (current business environment, what’s going on in other parts of your life, general busyness) and the importance of the goal.
Step 3: Look for a learning opportunity
This is a process where you can become more aware of what is and is not working for you. What have you noticed about the goals you set and the deadlines? Were they realistic deadlines for example? What reason(if any) can account for getting off track in pursuit of your goals? Is there anything you can do in future to prevent this? A short reflection is enough to gain a valuable insight into what you could do differently next time. In some cases, there is nothing you could do differently and that’s a valid answer. This is not about finding fault with you or the process, but observing and learning.
This 3-step process can be used as often as you need. It will help you to:
- stay on track with your goals
- improve your chances of goal attainment
- feel more on-track and in control
- improve your goal-setting and organisation
And remember to always enjoy the journey!