Normally I do not focus on myself when writing success tips however due to a series of personal events the past year, I was forced to reevaluate some of my goals. What took place caused me to focus even more intensely on some goals and put other goals in the parking lot.
For my regular readers you will notice I have not written an article in 9 weeks. This is a big change after a steady pace of writing an article a week for over 15 months. So what happened? Several things. I took the lead on a huge project at work that consumed a ton of hours. The result of these efforts will make a huge difference to the company and it also means I will achieve my income goals for this year. What became very clear is my number one goal was receiving most of the attention.
One of the events that took place is both my parents broke their hips 8 months apart if you can imagine that. Being with them has taken up much of my time. Both these events were beyond my control. But they happened. My being there for my parents is extremely important to me and that caused me to prioritize my time to accommodate what was important. More importantly I had to evaluate the goals I would have the time to work toward.
These following four things had to be put on the back burner because there was not enough time to achieve them.
- My weekly article writing became unimportant.
- My 20 mile a week walking regime dropped way off which put my target weight goal on hold.
- The book I am working on fell right off the radar with the completion date being pushed out. I have allowed myself two years.
- I had to cut down on my volunteer work. Perhaps the toughest one to put on hold. Doing this without having some guilt was difficult for me. I have so much to be thankful for it's hard to imagine cutting back on my giving.
- What did take off as a result of adjusting my goals were these three things. All good things to be proud of.
- The number of new big accounts has taken off at work. This as a result of my diligent and well planned marketing to an untapped market. These new deals are very strategic and rewarding. I am helping other companies grow their business. As an entrepreneur for many years of my life it is a total sense of joy. Building business is what entrepreneurs do. What a rush.
- My coaching and mentoring career is starting to take flight. Once again I am helping others grow and prosper. This is a very rewarding experience.
- Thirdly I am spending more quality time with my family. All four generations of them. I do this with intention and purpose. I do not leave it to chance that I will have the free time. I accomplish this by scheduling this time with my family.
So what's the lesson here? What has become very clear is that we must always stay conscious of our goals. Reviewing and measuring these goals at least several times a week it critical to your success. Prioritize your goals and adjust them so they are clear and relevant. My goals that were placed in the parking lot are not dead. I simply say they are in hibernation. One thing for certain is if your not committed to a goal then it's not well thought out. If you are going to do it, make sure it is for the right reason. Some of your goals may become less important in time. This is much the same in life as what matters changes with age. You should be OK with that. Does it not make sense to excel with fewer stretch goals than achieve six easy ones? Exactly.
The real bonus for me is that my most important goals are flourishing. Yours can too. I am having so much fun achieving my most important goals and I have a renewed energy. I know that I am being the best that I can be. Our staff depends on that. Our customers deserve that too. The time I have spent writing this article has also freshened my love to write. That goal of completing my book is not lost. Success is in your grasp too. Managing your goals will give you a boost toward your future success. Take the time to do this. Your worth it.
