Here we are, a few weeks into the year, the holidays are behind us, new resolutions set, and hopefully all the holiday treats are gone – or discarded 🙂 The second week of the year is always a bit of a reality check. Our work lives are back into a routine, students are back in school, and all with fresh goals in place and perhaps some personal goals too. Now it’s time to Do!
So what’s your plan? If you set resolutions, a “word for the year,” or simply made a commitment for some change, how are you doing so far? Yes, I know it is only two weeks into the year but if you are not already doing what you said you would, when are you going to start? How about today? What small thing can you do to take action that will get you closer to the goal you set?
When talking to my clients, we certainly talk about goals and I always encourage them to develop a plan that will help them reach their goals. Nothing new here, right? Where I see people fail is when they don’t plan for the every day small steps. Emily Dickinson said, “One step at a time is all it takes to get you there.” I know this seems like an oversimplification of it and yes, there are going to be set backs, challenges, and life gets messy but if you try to keep it simple, you will really be setting yourself up for success.
For example, if your goal is to build a stronger team, what is one thing you can do to help with that? Could you be more proactive in noticing the small things your team is doing and sharing that feedback with them? “Susan, I noticed you made our customer very comfortable when you were discussing their options. That’s how we build strong relationships. Thank you!” What would happen if every day you focused on one positive aspect of your team’s development? What would it cost you? What would that mean to your team? Or perhaps it’s looking into some educational opportunities. It may take time to do the research but when you start on it, that is a step forward that you had not made before.
There are many simple ways to impact your goals. What is one thing could you do today to make a difference and get one step closer to your ultimate goal? Need a little help? Connect with me. I’m happy to brainstorm with you and help get you started. Whatever you do, begin today!