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Following Up and Resetting Goals

Posted on May 9, 2018May 3, 2018 by UWIB Blog

It’s that time of year when spring cleaning is on the minds of many people. You know – clean the house, garage, or anything else that’s become cluttered over the winter.

But have you thought about spring cleaning your goals? It’s not the same as tossing things to the curb or donating them to a worthy cause, but rather a reassessment.

That said, now’s the time to do a goal check-up and monitor your progress toward reaching them. Here are some suggestions:

1. Take time for reflection

Before you look towards the future, you need to take a good look at the past. Assess your successes and failures over the past few months, and give yourself credit for any goals that you’ve accomplished, no matter how small.

Ask yourself what can improve and what you wish you had done but didn’t. There’s no need to be hard on yourself. You want to be honest.

2. Examine why some goals got off-track

There are always reasons why a goal is off-track. If it involves your business or organization, perhaps it’s due to a lack of resources or a leadership issue. If the goal has become so far off-track that it’s impossible, you may want to reset and create a new goal.

3. Get rid of what you no longer need

Spring cleaning means getting rid of things that aren’t essential. The same rule applies to your goals. Ask yourself: Is everything I’ve spent the last few months working on crucial? Think of ways that you can cut back on non-essential activities.

Consider your responsibilities and which ones aren’t truly your own. Think about what duties you can phase out of your life.

Are there emotions, such as jealousy, resentments, or anger holding you back? We all experience those emotions from time to time, but an overload of them is counterproductive. Focus on the positive instead.

4. Pick a time to evaluate and reset your goals

Another way to stay on top of your goals is to choose a day each month in which you assess your goals and, if necessary, to reset them. But never reset a goal before understanding why it’s not working in the first place.

5. Create an action plan

Once you’ve reassessed your goals, choose a few of them that you’d like to focus on and create new deadlines (and a new plan) to reach them. Set deadlines for completing little tasks necessary for accomplishing a larger goal.

Setting yourself up for success means having a clear direction and roadmap for where you want to go. Always know your immediate, next step.

Take time to re-evaluate your goals and, if necessary, getting back on track for reaching them. It’s an important part of the journey.

Remember: Goals are fluid. They change and may not be as important now as they were when you originally set them.

Personal Reflection: Gratitude, Accomplishments, Takeaways

Posted on January 16, 2018January 13, 2018 by UWIB Blog

As the new year opens in front of us, it’s time to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and give thanks for all that’s come from last year. It’s also time to consider what we’ve learned and what we should carry forward into the new year as we seek to improve our lives. This guide will walk you through a self-assessment of your accomplishments, takeaways, and gratitude for the year.

Break Out the Pen and Paper

Self-reflection takes a lot of work. The best way to get through this process and gather real insight is to take thorough notes as you examine every aspect of your life. You can refer back to these notes throughout the year to stay on track. This is also a great time to bring together work you’ve completed during the past year. If you’ve kept a personal journal, or have projects you’ve finished, include them for closer examination as well.

Commit to Honesty

Personal reflections are only beneficial if they’re honest. Commit to being honest with yourself, about the good and the bad. Yes, you can admit you hit some speed bumps during the year, but try not to be overly hard on yourself. Being honest takes a certain amount of courage, but it’s always a worthwhile endeavor. Whether you’re performing a self-evaluation for your boss or your own benefit, honesty is the most critical factor.

Categorize Your Thoughts

As you go through your self-appraisal, start by creating categories you want to focus on. For instance, your accomplishments, challenges, and gratitude. Fill in each category with details of things you’ve done well, things you have struggled with, and things you’ve learned to be thankful for. You may add other categories as you see fit, but once you’re done, create a separate category for key takeaways. Look at the big picture and think about the biggest, most important lessons of the year that you’ll carry forward in your life.

Take Your Time

Perhaps the most important thing is to take your time going through your assessment. Work methodically through each category and the timeline of last year. Don’t rush or skip over the hard parts, and definitely don’t leave anything out, especially if it was a challenge.

These are the moments you learn from the most, so make sure to pay attention to them. Most people can’t complete a full self-appraisal in one sitting. It usually requires several days or weeks of contemplation, note-taking and a-ha moments to gain a thorough understanding of what your year really looked like.

With these 4 tips, you are on your way to a better understanding of yourself and your strengths. Make sure to take your time and gather all of the relevant materials to examine your year and learn from it. Stay organized as you work, and take time to look over your notes with a 30,000-foot view to understanding the entire picture.

Personal Goal Setting: How to Set Goals for the New Year

Posted on December 12, 2017November 30, 2017 by UWIB Blog

Planning for the New Year ahead includes making resolutions for many, many people. But setting goals is an even more powerful way to set your course for the future.

While making resolutions and establishing goals may seem like the same side of the coin, there are differences. While a goal determines a course of action that you follow over time, resolutions represent a great intent – but one which often fades quickly when the results aren’t instantaneous.

Moreover, by taking baby steps along the way as you work toward your goal you experience the sense of accomplishment that comes with successfully making each step.

Here’s a look at how to set goals now that will provide focus and a path to follow in 2018.

1. Take a personal inventory

Before you decide where you want to go in the future, it’s essential to determine how you feel in the present. What’s your current satisfaction level with your life? Take a few hours to evaluate and reflect while developing the foundation for where you want to start.

2. Think about what you’d like to add to your life

It’s helpful to change your focus from the behaviors and habits you want to get rid of to the healthy, productive actions you want to add. For example, instead of saying you want to stop eating unhealthy food, focus on eating more healthy food instead.

3. Define dreams and goals

Once you’ve done a personal inventory, take some time to write down your dreams and goals. And it’s not about what you already have or what you have done, but what you truly want. Everyone has dreams, and your task is to uncover those that mean the most to you. Write down all of your dreams, no matter how outlandish they may seem. What thoughts and dreams excite you the most? Once you’ve written them all down, prioritize them by order of importance.

4. Make S.M.A.R.T goals

You may have heard of the acronym S.M.A.R.T. before, but it stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive. Once you’ve dreamed big and prioritized your goals, make sure that they fall into all of the categories:

• Specific – Be specific about your goals. Incomplete goals produce incomplete futures.

• Measurable – Make sure that your goals are specifically measurable.

• Attainable – Don’t set your goals so high that they’re unattainable.

• Realistic – Your goals have to be real in your current life situation. There’s nothing wrong with setting big goals, but they need to be realistic, too.

• Time – You should always attach a timeframe to every goal. One of the great things about goals is that they have an end and you’re working toward accomplishing them in a specific period. There’s nothing wrong with breaking bigger goals down into smaller goals with different timeframes.

5. Always keep your goals where you can see them

Once you’ve written down your goals, make sure they’re somewhere you can easily see them – whether they’re in a notebook, a part of your screen saver, or on post-it notes that you place around your house.

Most of us have made New Year’s resolution at some time in our lives. Setting goals, however, often have more impact and define your journey ahead. And now’s the time to establish your goals for 2018.

Goal Setting for Businesses: How to Set Goals for the New Year

Posted on December 12, 2017November 30, 2017 by UWIB Blog

For many people, setting goals is as much of a part of the holiday season as family gatherings and giving thanks. The same is true of businesses, who have an eye on the future while putting the finishing touches on 2017.

While holiday goal-setting often is associated with resolutions, it can run deeper than a desire to lose weight or start a fitness program – especially when it comes to running a business. For one, resolutions may fade quickly, while business goals should involve a detailed plan that’s actionable and trackable.

The following are suggestions for ways to set next year’s goals now for your business or enterprise.

1. Start by eliminating the “shoulds”

Instead of feeling sorry for things you haven’t done this year, focus on what you want to accomplish in the coming year instead. Goals fueled by guilt are less likely to be successful. They’re also more likely to trigger emotional reactions that prompt you to make decisions you normally wouldn’t.

2. Dream it

A great place to begin goal-setting is to consider everything you dream of accomplishing. It doesn’t even have to be overly-realistic, but it is essential to consider every possibility. Write down where you want to be in the future – one year from now, five years, ten years, etc. – and don’t exclude any idea, big or small.

3. Brainstorm

Once you’ve written down your dreams, it’s time for a brainstorming session to further flesh out your plans while also accessing others that may lurk in your sub-conscious.

4. Opt for guidelines

Setting hard and fast rules when setting action steps for your goals is sometimes counter-productive because business owners and individuals often abandon goals when they break the rules early in the process. Instead, set guidelines or policies that may be adjusted if you modify your goal.

5. Focus on today while planning ahead

Break down your goals into smaller chunks so that they don’t seem too overwhelming. You don’t want to lose sight of the big picture. However, taking each goal a step at a time enables you to build momentum and confidence.

6. Possible goals for your business

Here are some goals you can set for your business in the New Year:

• Improving your social media and digital presence

If your website is outdated or your web presence isn’t mobile-friendly, or if you don’t have a content strategy, now’s the time to get started.

• Managing and improving your cash flow more effectively

This is a great goal if you’re a small business owner who experiences dramatic ebbs and flows in your cash flow, or who hasn’t created enough capital to invest back into the business.

• Become a better communicator

A lack of communication is often the reason for misunderstandings among employees, low employee morale, or time wasted in repeating the same message.

• Learn to delegate more

Shifting some of your workload and letting others pick up the slack is crucial if you have so much on your plate that you can’t focus on growing your business.

The bottom line is that now is the best time to set goals for the coming year. By following a plan that’s actionable and includes all of your dreams – big or small – you’ll have a better chance of helping your business become what you’ve always envisioned.