🎧 Listen (4 min)
If you’re reading this, you’re most likely highly ambitious and I want to give you a few strategies to help you start the year off right and make it a really engaging year.
The first strategy is to define your goals or intentions. Think about what would be most fun and enjoyable for you, not necessarily something you feel you “should do” to satisfy someone else. Some people get stuck with creating goals or intentions so here are some examples:
I usually help clients with their development plans in an Excel or Google Sheet table. First, I suggest prioritizing your goals. Then, fill out the following prompts for each goal:
(1) Why is this important to me? What need of mine does this satisfy?
(2) What are the consequences of not achieving this (or not doing this)?
(3) What will make this a success? How will I define success for this? (Is it gaining new knowledge? Expanding my perspective? Exploring a mindset shift? Implementing new or different behavior? Approaching something with a different attitude?)
(4) How will accomplishing this make me feel?
(5) What actions do I need to take? What’s the number one activity I can do that will bring the biggest results?
(6) How will I measure progress and how often?
(7) What strengths / mindset are needed to accomplish this?
(8) What obstacles do I foresee could get in my way of accomplishing this and how will I navigate those?
(9) What’s my timeline for accomplishing this?
(10) How will I hold myself accountable to this?
(11) Who will support me in this? What resources do I need?
(12) How will I celebrate this and at what stages?
(13) What’s the impact of this — for me? For my team? For my boss? For my organization?
(14) What thoughts might lead to self-sabotage and limit me from accomplishing this?
Having a great mentor can be a game-changer. I have definitely been on the receiving end of some fantastic mentors during my career and because of that, it’s important for me to give back and mentor others (which I do through various non-profit pro bono coaching now). There’s only so much you can lean on or vent to your close family and friends about. A professional mentor will be there for you to provide guidance, share valuable experiences, and listen in a non-judgmental way. Usually, this person is not your direct boss, because that can be hard to share your deepest insecurities or fears with them. Find someone whose experiences align with your goals and whose mentorship style seems like it would resonate with you. Tell them why you picked them and what you’re hoping to get out of their mentorship. It shouldn’t always be a two-way street, but, perhaps there is something you can contribute to help reciprocate. Consider having a few different mentors for differing perspectives to build up your own support system.
Here’s to a year of growth and achievement!
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