Action & Implementation – Pj

The hype of the New Year is over and we are well and truly back into the routine of being back at work. So what has happened to those goals you set back in January? Are you on track or have they been forgotten already?

Glenn Malkiewicz (Senior Financial Adviser) mentioned in a CPE article earlier in the year that most goals are abandoned by March and research shows that only 8% of people actually achieve the goals they set themselves.

Glenn also gave some suggestions on how to set clear and measurable goals and by simply writing down a plan (what, when & how) research shows that this strategy can triple the chances for success.

I definitely want to be part of the 8%, so I followed Glenn’s suggestions and I wrote what I want to achieve this year, added dates and then below that created smaller steps (with dates) to implement throughout 2017.

Now I have done this in the past, then the goals book was buried in a draw and I didn’t see it again. So this year I have stuck my goals on the fridge as a visual reminder every day to keep what I want to achieve front of mind and to keep myself accountable (at this point it is working).

So what happens when the plan doesn’t go quite to plan?

I’m sure there will be a time when I won’t be able to action a particular step for some reason or another. So I have a plan B – using the “If ____, then ______.” strategy for those unexpected situations.

For example:

If my meeting runs over and I miss my gym session tonight, then I’ll wake up early tomorrow and go to the gym before work.

Couple of tips that have worked for me:

Make it smaller – making smaller, more manageable steps helps getting started easier and helps to keep up momentum

Create accountability – exercise with a friend or work colleague, you are less likely to skip a gym session if someone else is relying on you

Reflect – take time out to reflect on the progress you have made – it’s a massive motivator to keep going

If you want to be in that 8% and successfully achieve your goals, then you need a plan for exactly when and how you are going to implement the goals you set yourself.