By Erin Daniels, The KNOW Women
At the beginning of each year, nearly half of us create new goals and resolutions to provide guidance and discipline for the following months. Though we may have the best intentions to eat healthier, work out more, and stay organized, it is very often we find ourselves slipping through the cracks as we try to attain this new mindset and lifestyle that we desire. Even with much larger scale business goals the same problems can occur as we deviate and get distracted.
Nonetheless, it isn’t impossible to set goals and successfully achieve them! We asked 25 KNOW women four questions about how they set their New Year resolutions, find inspiration, and effectively achieve their goals. Follow along on our four part mini-series to see weekly how different high-achieving women plan to dominate in the New Year.
What have you found to be the most effective way to set goals and what hasn’t worked?
It’s important to ask ourselves, “what feels right for me now?” In the past, I loved doing vision boards, setting intentions for the year, and journaling about my goals. This year none of that felt authentic for me, so I let all of it go and did nothing differently. I’m still just staying focused on being consistent and showing up every day no matter what that looks like. It felt right for me to just stay the course for now and not add anything else into the mix.
– Gemma Rayne Fountain, Fountain Five Enterprises
The most effective way to set goals is to decide on a few of the most important ones that are slightly out of reach, but not so far fetched that you give up on them! Then, choose a maximum of 5 to target and break down how you will accomplish them by working backwards. Once that is completed, add the tasks to upcoming dates as part of your daily to do list.
– Shelby Kincer, Collab Social
The most effective way to set goals is to focus on your own definition of happiness and/or success, no one else’s. Once you know exactly what you want, you can establish the right goals and measure them properly. The worst thing you can do is to try to achieve goals that belong to someone else, create goals based on society’s view of who/what you need to be, or pursue goals that do not help you achieve your dreams.
– Dr. Paulette J. Evans, Evans Efficiency Experts
Are you one to make resolutions at the beginning of the year or do you set mini goals for yourself throughout the year, and how do you hold yourself accountable?
a
Vision. I have a long-term vision of what success looks like for me and what needs to happen over the next 1, 3, 5, and 10 years. This vision helps me stay focused and motivated. I do quarterly deep dives to review and adjust the plan.
-Alison Stine, Stine Wealth Management
I find inspiration in my colleagues, in successful entrepreneurs, and mostly my father. My father and I talk “shop” a lot. He helps me navigate being a small business owner, and strive to do better in everything I do.
Brooke Palmer Kuhl, RSBP Events + PR
My inspiration comes from a place of positivity and possibility. The ability to help others see what is possible. I revisit this daily, weekly and monthly as a part of my goal reflection plan.
Sara Mayer, Sara Mayer Consulting
Where do you find inspiration for what you want to be or accomplish this year and how often do you revisit or override that initial inspiration?
Of course, but I don’t call them resolutions as I’m not trying to change, but instead evolve. Accountability for what I set out to do is huge, and I look to my trusted inner circle to help.
– Sheena Works, Works Learning
Can the answer just be yes? Haha! The accountability part is purely about execution. If and when I start resenting a situation I’ve put myself in, I know I am responsible because I haven’t set a boundary or an expectation. I look at those goals and those feelings DAILY. It’s the first thing I look at (even before social media) and it’s the last thing I see before falling asleep.
– Cat Ford-Coates, Atlier Unforgettable
I will occasionally break down the numerical goals into mini goals still recognizing that sluggish quarters and naturally occurring up ticks happen. Understanding this allows me the have grace when thinking about my goals.
– Jen McDonald, Merchant Insurance Solutions
Honestly, neither! I focus on my momentum, sometimes slow and other times rapid, and I keep moving forward. I try to be in a continuous personal and business growth mode.
– Cindy Brown, Polished Parents
I fall somewhere in between. Each new year, I do believe in setting goals to better myself and my business, but I also believe that there are some elements of my business that are working great and don’t need to be changed. So often, we get distracted by shiny objects when in reality if we stick with our plan, it will pay off in dividends.
– Melanie Herschorn, VIP Digital Content
I think they both have a place in business. You can’t grow without change, but if something is really working why change it? You have to evolve in a way where you track and tweak as you go. I’ve never been someone to not continually evaluate what I could do better though and the New Year always sparks that fire to up my game.
– Christina Barrett, Luxe Light Images
