How to Get Your 2024 Goals Back on Track
A raise of hands, please. How many of us have already abandoned our 2024 goals? Wait. What?? We're barely only out of January!
GUT CHECK
Research suggests that only 8% of people who set goals actually achieve them.
You're not alone. I have failed to meet my New Year's goals many times over the years and it left me feeling discouraged and frustrated. On top of that, because of what I do for a living, I have observed that many high potential leaders also struggle with meeting their personal and professional goals. This was unacceptable to me because I know that goal setting is absolutely essential for moving careers forward. If all these emerging leaders were struggling with goal setting, were they not advancing to the professional levels they wanted? To help close this achievement gap, I created a 5-step SOAR Action Plan that you can use get you back on track.
Most importantly before we move on - do NOT beat yourself up for. Stop those negative thoughts now! They won’t serve you on your path to success this year. It is always ok to hit the reset button.
Step 1: Reflect to Identify Your Strengths
Start by asking yourself these 3 questions:
What did I accomplish in the last 12 months?
What does this tell me about my strengths?
What work do I still need to do?
The important part is not just to pat yourself on the back for everything you've accomplished, but to reflect on what your accomplishments reveal about your strengths. Reflecting on our accomplishments and strengths increases the likelihood that you will set achievable goals.
For example, I realized that I successfully met my goals last year because reaching those goals required me to enlist other people. However, I was less successful in meeting goals that required breaking a bad habit; such as checking email first thing in the morning. After I gave it some thought, I recognized that if I want to break a bad habit, I need to enlist others to help me.
Step 2: Brainstorm
First, get out a big piece of blank paper or use a whiteboard. Begin to brainstorm a list of goals you would like to accomplish for the remainder of the year. You have almost a full 11 months left! I personally like the 100 Dreams approach that time-management expert, Laura Vanderkam, uses in her book, 168 Hours. You don't necessarily have to list all 100 goals, but giving yourself permission to list 100 helps you to be creative in the brainstorming process.
I like to have two 100 goals list - one for the next 12 months and one for the longer term. I use the longer term list to park goals I would eventually like to accomplish, but cannot start this year. I use it like a bucket list.
This brainstorming exercise will be easier if you brainstorm across a wide variety of categories. Some people like to brainstorm goals in three areas such as work, relationships, and self. Other people might prefer a larger list of categories, similar to the SOAR Goal Pie below.
Step 3: Choose an Annual Theme
Now, review your brainstormed list of goals for the next 11ish months and see if there are any common threads. Select one theme to be your focus for the remainder of the year. Any similar threads revealed for you?
An extension of this idea is to decide on a “word for the year”. This concept is based around choosing one word that you will use to guide you through the year and help ground your intentions for what you want to accomplish. In a recent Women Who Work podcast episode, my co-host Stephanie and I dive into our words for 2024 and how they align with our objectives and aspirations for the year ahead. Curious about what we chose? I’ll give you a hint - Stephanie’s word makes me hungry!
Choosing a theme for the year will help you focus on one overarching goal, even when you may have seemingly divergent goals. When you have a clear focus, you are more likely to achieve your goals. Your theme also guides you to choose goals that play off each other; and when your goals all fit together, you are also more likely to be successful.
Step 4: Select One Goal to Start and Create a SOAR Action Plan
In this next step, pick one goal that aligns with your annual theme, and create a SOAR plan to help you achieve it.
“I goal without a plan is just a wish.”
A SOAR plan is similar to the SMART goal framework that many workplaces and professionals use. For each goal, complete the following:
For an example, this year I am determined to improve my sleep habits, and I created my SOAR goal plan to reflect that. I also think it helps to link my rewards directly to the benefits of achieving that particular goal. Because let’s be honest. If I really want that pair of shoes, I’m just going to buy them regardless if I met a goal or not. Getting the necessary amount of sleep rejuvenates both my mind and body, a perk that yoga can also deliver, in addition to the added bonus of a weekend escape.
Step 5: Track Weekly, Revise Quarterly
The most important step in this process is to regularly protect time on your calendar to review your goals and plan your action steps. Here is the cadence that I recommend:
The weekly review is the real workhorse in the process and the most critical review. It's the one where intentions meet reality. In my experience, if you don't get in the habit of reviewing your performance against your goals and revising your plans weekly, it is unlikely that you will be successful.
Now it is up to you! Take some time within the next week to plan out your goals for the remainder of 2024! Let me know what you’re focusing on achieving this year. What wins have you had? Where are you getting stuck? Go for it! Make 2024 one that you’ll look back on with pride.