As the calendar flips to 2020, we will all look back and wonder where 2019 went and how it went by so fast. We all did the same thing when the calendar flipped from 2018 to 2019. And we will all do the same thing again when it flips from 2020 to 2021. However, I think we are asking ourselves the wrong question – not how did the year go by so fast, but more so, are we better now versus a year ago? What changes did we make to improve our lives? Did we actually do something different or alter our behavior in some way? Or did we simply do the same things as the years past and expect different results?
I promise that this blog post isn’t intended to make you feel bad about a failed New Year’s resolution. It is more so calling out that if we focus on the process and not the outcome, we will achieve meaningful change. Our firm started to work with a business coach last year who helped us to understand business planning in a different way. He wholeheartedly agrees that annual goals are a must for any business. However, he suggests a different approach to reach those goals. His recommendation to achieve annual goals is to break them down into 12 monthly goals. This, in his opinion, is the best way to actually achieve success. Said a different way, don’t focus on the large annual goal, but 12 smaller, less intimidating monthly goals. Whether it be losing weight, starting a gym routine, or saving money, New Year’s resolutions always begin with a genuine desire to change our behaviors for the better. But by mid-February, most have died off because the desired result became overwhelming. For example, if your goal is to lose 18 pounds by the end of the year, then think about it as losing a pound and a half every month. If your goal is to save $15,000 this year, then put $1250 away every month. Mountains are climbed one step at a time! =
My challenge to you is to set a 2020 goal and map out the monthly results. This gives us a better scoreboard to check progress. It also keeps us accountable starting right away in January, in addition to providing more on-ramps throughout the year for getting back on track if we miss a month or two. Achievement doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing endeavor or some grand plan that’s ruined by the first inevitable pitfall. Please share your 2020 resolutions with us. We love to hear what our clients are striving for each year and how we may be able to help get there or simply lend a word of encouragement. We will do the same in our strategy meetings in 2020. Let’s all set ourselves up for a different view at the end of 2020. Not how did the year go by so fast, but how I set a resolution and finally kept it!