Director of Professional Development
You may be preparing to set professional goals for the upcoming year. While this is a great way to enter a new year, I try to challenge people to see goals in a larger context that follows what author Sean Covey calls The 4 Disciplines of Execution.
Goals left to themselves do not tend to lead to results, and they rarely lead to the specific results the goal was aiming to achieve. Yet, many of us set goals for the year, usually with good intentions but no accountability or structure in place to win big.
Today, I’d like you to take your goals and move them from intentions to actions to results by following these simple steps.
- Make sure the goals you choose are important to your success. Goals set out of obligation can be ignored quickly, so I ask people to avoid telling me what they should do and get serious about one to two goals they feel compelled to set because they matter. Make sure the goals you set are specific, measurable and attainable by a target date on your calendar.
- Identify the non-negotiable disciplines required to drive the result you want to achieve. If your goal is to weigh X pounds by a certain date, run the math based on calories in versus calories burned and create daily disciplines around that calorie amount. Never leave your goals up to disciplines you can’t control, or at least heavily influence. This will reduce your excuses as you execute.
- Create a scoreboard and track your daily/weekly progress. Keep it simple–just like a scoreboard at a sporting event. Make it easy for you (and those on your team) to see if you are winning on any given day. Visibility helps those who see the scoreboard know when to cheer each other on, motivate each other, and even provide an emotional boost when it is needed most!
- Set up a scheduled accounting of the results you are tracking with a partner. This could be a coach, a friend or a team member; choose the person that is most likely to inspire you as well as hold you accountable, so you adjust your actions as you start reviewing your results. Doing this consistently will help you find the gaps and stay on track with your disciplines. It’s more difficult to put off goals when you involve other people. You realize there are other eyes on you, other minds tracking your progress and encouraging you to cross the finish line.
These four disciplines of execution have worked for individuals, teams and practices. Using this framework, they were able to move their intentions to actions and create results that they care about.
If you need help creating and achieving your goals, reach out to your regional manager or account manager.
