Groundwork for a New Season - Part 2

Goal setting is a powerful way to articulate your aspirations and give them a roadmap for the future.

With these ‘SMART’ goals in place, the next step is to identify and prioritise them. Prioritisation involves assessing how important each goal is when ranked alongside your other goals. Then you can allocate your time and effort accordingly. Thinking through the significance of each goal prevents a feeling of overwhelm and ensures that your efforts are focused on what truly matters.

Reflect on your values: Consider your core values and what matters most to you. Do a quick assessment of the previous year and assess if what you achieved filled the areas in your life that you deem valuable. If you're struggling to figure this out, some helpful questions to ask could be: What is important to me? What would a perfect day look like? What do I spend my free time on? What do I enjoy doing? Who would I like to spend more time with/help? What would I do if there were no limitations? Then look to align your goals with these values to ensure that your pursuits are personally fulfilling.

Assess Impact: Evaluate the impact each achieved goal will have on your life. This ties in closely to your values, as if maintaining a certain level of activity is more important to you than learning a new language, the flow on effect will have a greater influence on other aspects of your personal and professional life. If you feel at your best, that will have a positive impact on the rest of your life. One of your goals might be to learn how to drive a car, this will have a huge impact on other areas of your life; professional, relationships, hobbies etc. What might seem like a reasonable small goal, has the ability to make a big impact.

Categorize Goals: Divide your goals into categories such as personal, professional, health, and relationships. This categorization provides a holistic view, making it easier to allocate time and resources effectively.

Consider Time Sensitivity: Some goals may have time-sensitive components or dependencies. For instance, your desire to learn conversational French is interconnected with a planned trip to France mid-year. A goal of weight loss might be in order to be ready for an upcoming wedding in 2 months. Some goals may be more urgent, whilst others could be allocated a later time slot. Prioritize goals that require immediate attention or a short timeline.

Review and Adjust: Be open to reviewing your priorities. What may have been a top priority in April may have changed vastly by July. As circumstances change, so too should your priorities. You may find yourself needing all your spare time for family commitments, so the goal of reading 2 books each month will need adjusting. Be flexible and alter your focus where it is needed.

Goals and priorities are the destination and direction, but the processes we put in place are the vehicles that get us there. When you write down your goals factoring in the ‘how’ question, you’ll be clear in implementing effective processes that ensure all of your efforts are structured, consistent, and sustainable.

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