Well that certainly was an eventful January of what so many people hoped was going to be a calmer year. It was a long month but February is about to be here and we’re going to keep on looking forward. With the new month starting, I’m reminded of what happens to so many people in the first few months of a new year. January rolls around and we’re full of hope and goal setting. We’re determined to make it a great year. But by the time February comes around we’ve had enough time to realize that this year is just like last year.
The high hopes that we had for achieving our goals starts to fade. We start to fall back into the same old habits and routines that we were trying to get away from. When that happens, most people throw in the towel and go back to just trying to survive instead of working to thrive.
So, if you’re in that place, I get it. Here is a list of things that you can do to get yourself back on track for 2021.
Tip 1: Learn to Avoid the Distractions
We saw this happen a lot in 2020 and it’s already happening again. The news headlines make it sound like the world is falling apart, and it might feel like it is at times. But if we spend all our time focusing on the current events happening around us, we take our eye off our goals.
Have you ever watched one of those videos of people who walk into things while texting. You may have even done it before. And it’s ridiculous. People are actually getting hurt because they are so distracted by their phones that they don’t see what’s happening right around them.
And it’s easy to see how stupid that really is when you watch someone else do it, but many people are doing the same thing with their business and personal goals.
The people texting and walking have an overall goal of where they’re walking to. They aren’t just wandering aimlessly. But because they are distracted by their phones, they get off course a little. They don’t see the slight adjustments they need to be making along the way. And if they walk like that for long enough, they walk into pole or into the street or off the pier.
Setting goals for a new year is smart. Allowing yourself to get so distracted by other things that you don’t notice when you’ve veered off course is not smart. And more importantly, it’s not going to help you reach your goals. Yes, it’s important to know what’s going on in the world around you, but remember that you still need to keep an eye on your goal in order to achieve it.
2. Learn to pivot when needed
Last year our SPEARity business coaches in Milwaukee spent a lot of time working with business owners, managers, and leaders to help them find ways to pivot in their business after the pandemic began. It felt like a dire need for 2020 when everything that was planned came to a screeching halt. But, the ability to pivot when needed is actually a skill that is important to have all the time, not just during a global pandemic.
Let’s use the walking and texting example again. You can successfully pull off walking and texting if you remember to keep looking up to see where you are. This allows you to spot the dangers in your path before you smack right into them. You can course-correct or pivot as needed.
As we enter month #2 of 2021, take time to look around and see what it looks like around you. Are you still on the path that you need to be to reach your goals? Did you veer off course somewhere and it’s time to get path on the path? Or maybe you realized that you started down the wrong path at the start of the year and you need to alter your plans completely. That’s OK as long as you do it.
We’re all going to have times when we need to pivot our direction or steer ourselves back on the path if we’ve taken a few steps in the wrong direction. That’s not a problem. The real problem comes, when like walking and texting people, you don’t take the time to look up until it’s too late.
3. Celebrate your success
Make sure you make time to celebrate the success that you had in January. It’s easy to get so caught up in what didn’t go right that we forget to acknowledge what did go right. If you haven’t already done so, look back over January and write a list of the successes that you experienced.
If you’re the leader of a team, take time to acknowledge the success that your team had as well. Make sure to mention these to your team. Make sure they know that you see the things that they did well too instead of only focusing on the areas where they need to improve.
4. Get some accountability
If you take the time to reflect on January and realize that you didn’t make the progress you wanted to, you might need a little help. This could be in the more of learning the right systems to put into place. Or it could be finding a business coach to help you develop the skills you need to achieve your goals.
If you’re interested in gaining access to training, coaching, and consulting, reach out to explore your options with SPEARity. You don’t have to quit on your goals because January didn’t go as planned. You can learn to pivot and adjust to get back on track. The good news is there’s a lot of 2021 remaining.
