Taking action towards your goals
It’s the last week before Christmas! Over the last few weeks I’ve been asking: Do you take time to reflect, to do an annual review? and How do you set your ‘big picture’ goals? With a good understanding of where we are currently and a view of where we want to get to, it’s time to be planning for 2017 and to start taking action…
Setting your objectives for 2017
With your long-term vision in mind, where do you want to be by this time next year?
How can you break this 12-month goal down into stepping stones?
What are the different areas you need to focus on?
What are the different milestones along the way?
How will you know when you’ve reached each checkpoint?
When will you achieve them?
Taking action
In order to achieve your 12-month goal, what do you need to start doing now in order to reach your goal?
What actions can you take each day to move you towards your goal?
And, as I ask my Macclesfield Women in Business Coaching Group members,
“What steps will you take in the next 24 hours?”
Critical moves
We need to make sure that our actions really are actions (they contain a specific doing word and a tangible outcome) and that they are not actually goals in disguise – for example, I’ve had an action (goal?!) for a while to:
“Sort email list”
– of course, not much happened – it wasn’t clear what I was going to do or how I was going to do it – sort is pretty vague and woolly – how would I know when I’d done it?!
“Ambiguity is the enemy.
Any successful change requires a translation of ambiguous goals into concrete behaviours
…you need to script the critical moves…”
– Chip & Dan Heath: Switch. How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.
More recently, I broke ‘sort email list’ down into concrete steps, with a first baby step of:
“Create MailChimp account!”
Suddenly it was easy to take the first step forwards, and there was a visible outcome (I received an email asking me to activate my account).
After a few more tentative steps I’ve started to build momentum :)
Similarly, I’ve been meaning to:
“Do more with video”
– again pretty vague!
As you may know, I’m not too keen on being photographed, let alone videoed! Despite this, I volunteered to give a talk via Facebook Live (scheduled for April 2017) – eek!
The baby steps I have been taking are to make short Facebook Live broadcasts within a safe, supportive environment – a closed Facebook group for The Bird Table coaches. Step one is complete and the video evidence is there.
What actions will you take to take you closer to your goals?
What about you? Have you set your objectives for the next year? What are your critical moves? When will you make them?
Are you taking action?
Please let me know your thoughts by adding your comments below…
To find out how I can help you with goal or objective setting and taking action, please get in touch via the contact form or call me on +44 7526 740486.
Wishing you a great Christmas and a fabulous start to 2017!
Sian
Interestingly ‘ACTION’ is my word for the year Sian! I have decided that if I focus each day on the very next teeny step of my business and self care goals, that i won’t have time for fear, lack of confidence etc. :)
Thanks for sharing Anna! Soon all those teeny next steps will take you forward in great strides towards your goals. Great word for the year! Sian
Great article, Sian. Here’s to a fabulous 2017!
Thanks Claire! Sian
What a wonderful synchronicity. Action is one of my words for the year. Will have to come back throughout the year to read this blog, whenever I find myself falling off the wagon. Love how practical you were.
Thanks Liliana! Loving the synchronicity! Here’s to a year of action! Sian
Thank you for this helpful reminder :) It’s so much easier to feel motivated to take action when the action is clear, and simple.
Thank you Paula! Sian
Love this Sian, some powerful “takeaways” thank you so much for sharing x
Thanks Nina! Sian
Hi Sian thanks for this a reminder me has to be about simplifying and streamlined lol another great blog
Thanks Eileen! Sian