Goal Planning Over the Holiday Season
It’s the Holiday Season and we all are really looking forward to our few days’ leave, and rightly so. It’s time to rejuvenate the batteries, put your feet up in front of the TV & enjoy a well-earned break with family and friends, a blessing that can sometimes be lost in the hustle and bustle of a busy year. But when the dust settles and the 27th of December passes, It can also be an amazing time to take some time out to do some goal planning for a successful 2016. If you have not started your 2024 goal planning by then, well you know the saying “Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail”! Here is a five-step process to help you plan your success.
Step 1. Identification
Find a quiet spot away from the TV, Radio, Kids and any other possible distractions to start your goal planning. Get yourself a cup of tea, coffee or refreshment of your choosing & a pen and paper and start jotting down all of the career/job related goals you have for 2024.It could be anything from leaving your current employer, working on your CV, getting that promotion, starting college, earning more money, setting up your business, moving premises etc.Remember, don’t think about this step too much, don’t over analyse, write down whatever goals come into your mind.
Step 2. Sequencing
When the first step is complete, this now becomes the raw material to work with, your job related wish list if you will. You then need to start organising these goals in a sequence for planning. The best way to do this is to rate each Goal with a 1, 2, or 3 status, based on its realistic achievability, time it will take to complete and of course, the monetary cost of same which ultimately identifies which goals you are going to start with first.
Step 3. Planning
Start with the status 1’s and let’s begin creating the blueprint to achieve each goal. This is the part of the process that you need focus on in detail and identify each step in the sequence that needs to be completed in order to move onto the next step. Assign a time frame to complete the step and a cost if applicable for that step. I have always found MS Project or Excel an excellent tool for this. Also have a plan B, and plan C in place to combat Murphy’s law, for sure you are going to need it but don’t be swayed from your ultimate goal and don’t procrastinate when times get tough.
Step 4. Execution
“We are all born with a purpose and when you know what this purpose is and you tell yourself that you will not settle for mediocrity, you will then begin to manifest your greatness,”
Les brown
You have now turned your goal planning into a success road map, you have identified each of the steps and you need to go at it with a vigour and assertiveness like never before. You cannot be stopped, your goals are achievable and it’s important that no matter what, you achieve these goals. Review and update your plan every week and make sure you are on track. Every time you encounter an issue or a bump in the road, bring it back to the huddle, identify the issue, devise a solution and move on, it’s up to you.
Step 5. Reflection
As a result of your goal planning, your first goal has now been completed. How did it go? Use this period to reflect on what worked well and what can be improved on. When you carry out this review, adopt your findings to your next project and you will quickly master the process and become extremely effective and efficient at your goal planning skills.