A year ago, on July 1st, I stood in my backyard and declared 2 goals, and I did it on Facebook Live. Those two goals included:

1.  Reconnect with 40 friends and acquaintances within 2 weeks. This wasn’t social media reconnecting. I got off of Facebook and truly talked to people. In those two weeks, I was able to connect with 28. It may not have been my goal of 40, but it got the ball rolling over the year to reach out to past, present, and new people in my life and genuinely connect with them.

2.   Turn my dirt pile of a backyard into a backyard oasis. I envisioned a pool, jacuzzi, fire pit, and BBQ island.  There is nothing more satisfying than setting a goal, mobilizing people to make it happen, and celebrating. My 50th birthday bash was in my backyard oasis with the 106 people I’m truly grateful for connecting with and having them in my life.
 

There is nothing like making a public declaration to help hold you accountable!  I did this July of last year, and I have an amazing sense of accomplishment. These goals and others have contributed to the benefit of my life and those of my coaching clients.  time last year with amazing accomplishments, for both me and my coaching clients.

No matter where you are in your life, which challenges you face, or how high the hopes and dreams you strive for are, it’s never too late to review and set goals to make the most of your time.

Are you a New Year’s Gym Goer?

Did you have a New Year’s resolution this year? I get various responses to this when I ask during a leadership program. Unless you have been persistent or are holding yourself accountable in some way, you are likely stuck in the mode of those New Year’s Gym Goers. 

You know who I’m talking about.  Those well-intentioned folks who purchase the gym membership on January 1, diligently go to the gym each day for the first week or so, then start to trail off about week three, only to cancel their membership in July.

The year is halfway over

First, congratulations, on making it halfway through the year!  I know it’s hard to believe it’s already July. How have you done on your New Year’s resolution this year? Have you turned in your membership card yet, Ms. New Year’s Gym Goer?

No? Good. There’s still time to make that resolution a reality.

Just like your car and your body, you need a “tune-up” of your goals for the year to make sure you are still on target.  And, like those New Year’s Gym Goers, review goals that are important for you to accomplish before the end of the year.

And if you haven’t started yet, this is your wake-up call.

The 8 R’s for your midyear goal tune-up

Setting goals is important. It gives you long-term vison and short-term motivation. It focuses on what you feel is most important to you. Most importantly, it gives you pride and a sense of achievement when you succeed and raises your self-confidence and competence as you recognize your ability to reach your goals.

So, how do you know where you stand in achieving your goals for this year? You give yourself a midyear goal tune-up. Here are the eight R’s necessary for you to maintain those goals.

Review

If you haven’t looked at your goals since you created them, now is the time.  Place your goals in a prominent location to be seen on a regular basis.

Refine

Are there goals that need to be modified, dropped, or added?  Make changes to fit your current progress, needs, and status.

Rejuvenate

Don’t forget to celebrate when you have accomplished a goal. Take the time to honor the occasion.  This can include mini celebrations for completing different steps or stages of your goal and can be a great way to keep motivated.

I had one client whose six-year-old son was his accountability partner. Every night the boy would meet his dad at the door and go over his goals. When he didn’t do as well as he should have, his son would reassure him that he could work on it again tomorrow. If he did well, he got hugs and high fives. How great of a celebration is that?

Refocus

Divide your remaining goals into blocks of time to help you refocus on goal priorities.  Think of your schedule or this year’s remaining holidays. Use these dates to mark the time frames by which you focus on your goals.  This is a good time to focus on summer goals, or your most pressing goals. Give yourself until Labor Day to finish those goals.

Reconnect

Why did you set the goals you’ve set?  If you’ve forgotten or the reason has changed, it’s time to reconnect with the purpose of your goal. 

A client of mine who was in his 50’s with two young children under the age of six. His goal was to start working out at the gym so that he could be healthy and around to see his children grow up, get married, and have children of their own.  But like many a New Year’s Gym Goer, he was often kicking his workout bag aside on his way out the door to work. He reconnected with they why of his goal and pinned a picture of his children to his gym bag. He couldn’t kick his kids out of the way. They were the reason he wanted to do this.

Realistic

Unless you set an easy goal, you’ll know a goal has been set when you bump up against obstacles to overcome in reaching that goal.  That’s right!  Obstacles are reminders that a goal has been set and that it is going to take effort. 

If you thought there would be no obstacles as you work towards your goals is not only being unrealistic, it’s also setting yourself up for failure. The minute you bump up against those obstacles, you may want to quit all together.  However, if you are realistic about the obstacles and how you might overcome them, it will greatly aid in your success.  

Keep in mind, many obstacles may be the people in your life. You have 2- and 4-legged family members who like and love you just the way you are. When you change, so does the dynamics of your relationship, and it may be uncomfortable for them.  Acknowledge this by engaging with them in conversations about your goals.  However, if the goal is still important to you, don’t let what others think about your new goals steer you off track from meeting them. 

Recalibrate

Are you so focused on your goals that you’ve forgotten to relax and have fun?  Don’t get so focused on the goal that you forget to have fun along the goal journey. 

I focused so much on building my backyard oasis that I forgot to slow down and enjoy it!  Recently, I hosted a birthday and retirement party for a friend.  Many people commented on how nice my yard was, and how they were sure I was using it all the time. I had to admit that I DIDN’T! 

Why did I make it such a goal to BUILD the backyard, but not take the time to enjoy it? Well, I’m declaring right now that this summer, I WILL use this backyard and thoroughly enjoy every moment of it.  I hope this is a lesson for YOU to enjoy the fruits of your goals, as well as the journey along the way!

Resource-Up

Whether it is a Coach to help you stay on track, or a good friend, family member, or colleague, get an accountability partner.  Who ever thought peer pressure could be good? Actually, it is a fantastic motivator, especially when it comes to achieving goals.

Here is what research suggests according to Goal Setting: A Motivational Technique that Works, by Locke and Latham, 1994.

a.            If you set a goal but don’t write or share it with colleagues, your chances of actually accomplishing that goal are only 6-8%.

b.            If you set and write it down, your chances increase to 25-30%.

c.            If you then share with colleagues you increase your likelihood of success to 55-60%. 

d.            Finally, if you enroll one of your colleagues to keep you accountable to your goal – you are at least 85% likely to achieve goal success.

Don’t let this year slip by without making progress on what you really want in life.  Your success is the result of the choices you make.  If you want change in your life, it is time to start making different choices. Good luck., and let’s make the most of  this half-year by kicking those goals into high gear!!!