Setting Goals and Resolutions Can Be Tough

By the time this article is published we should be about 45 days into 2021.  The year that everyone has been waiting for.  Anything but 2020 please. Let us put that behind. Along with a new year comes new goals and new resolutions. We all start out strong, but about 13 days in, we get derailed.  Why is that?   Were the goals unrealistic, not thought out, and seemed easy at the time?   There is a world of excuses; it just depends on who is giving them.

As a business owner, setting goals and resolutions is tough. Seems easy when you say it loud, but to actually do it or put in motion may not be so easy. There are many obstacles that could come between you and that goal and resolution. Those obstacles need to be thought out as well.  A few obstacles are resources, costs and the final one, time. If you were to ask anyone, “Why do you think you did not obtain your goal or resolutions?” my gut says seven out of 10 would say “time.”

Time is one of the most valuable assets every individual has, however most do not treat is that way.    Think about it, how many times are you asked to do something, and you say “yes” without a blink of an eye.  We are trained this way. Before you know it, you have more than you can handle and are sucked right back into the endless circle of work, and not working on your goals and resolutions.

What I am about to say is no secret: The only way you are going to be able to move toward your goals and resolutions is if you manage your time better. Having your time managed will allow you the time to focus on the goals and resolutions. Set aside at least two or three hours a week and think about what you need to accomplish. Set benchmarks to get to your destination. Starting off small is key. Going through the process with small resolutions will help you keep focused on the end goal. Once you complete one goal, you can move onto the next. You will achieve greater success conquering one goal at a time versus none, because you did not have the time.   

This mindset can be used for anyone in both their professional and personal life. I will share a personal story of mine.   About three years ago I set a goal of increasing my social media presence. Instead of setting a goal of having 10k followers, I set a goal of having more visibility.  I started by posting on LinkedIn, then I started to do videos, then podcasts and now publications. End result: increased visibility, by 30 percent.  I conquered this by starting out small and spending about two hours a week.

So now ask yourself…what is your goal or resolution?