If 2020 taught us anything, it was that everything can change in an instant.
I mean, we weren’t even past the first quarter of the year in March when shutdown orders rolled out quickly across the United States!
For most of us, the goals we set for 2020 went out the window — and fast.
That’s okay.
We needed time to regroup.
But if 2020 taught us anything else, we learned we are resilient, creative, and adaptive as all get-out.
We’re ready to take 2021 by storm. Yes, we’re entering this year broken, but we’re a whole lot wiser.
And our 2021 goal setting process needs to be stepped up.
Because we’ve learned some things. And we can be better for them.
You’ve read about SMART goals. We love SMART goals, and we encourage you to research and use them! But we think 2021 goal setting calls for some unique rules of its own.
Read on for six 2021 goal setting rules.
1. Your Goal Should Be Your Own
When businesses shut down, social engagements disappeared, families retreated inside, and travel abruptly stopped, we learned what matters.
Maybe you learned how to unplug and spend time with your family. You might have felt empowered without so many social engagements. Or you might have found you need more social experiences in your life! Maybe you got outside into the outdoors and found you love nature.
No matter what, once the obligations were stripped away from your life, you learned more of what’s important to you — and what’s not.
Take that power and momentum, and use it in your 2021 goal setting.
Only make goals that matter to YOU. Your career, education, finances, free time, family life, home, and everything belongs to you. Other people’s expectations don’t matter. In fact, they never did. The difference is: now, we know it.
Make goals that make YOU happy. Don’t live your life for someone else anymore.
2. Be Ready to Pivot
Whoa Nelly, we all understand pivoting now!
Everyone in the world has gotten a crash course in pivoting this year. One minute, children were in school and people were in offices. The next, everyone had to replicate education and business from tiny corners of their homes.
If we could do this without a moment’s notice, we can do anything.
In normal times, one reason people aren’t successful at goal setting is because when they face opposition, it’s easy to give up.
But we’ve faced opposition all year long. And we’ve proven to ourselves that we can meet opposition head-on, and we can pivot into a completely new plan.
When you set your goals for 2021, remember you might have to adjust them as you go. Rejoice in this! This is good news — to pivot means you’re building endurance and creativity muscles. This will only make your goals more meaningful and strong once you reach them.
In summary, don’t be afraid of the pivot. In fact, plan on it. It’s going to help you grow.
3. For the Love, Don’t Do It the Same Way You’ve Always Done It
This was the shakeup year. In business, we learned we can come up with new ways for in-person meetings. We learned how to sell online. Our offers became more enticing. We learned how to look at old concepts and routines with new eyes.
And we’re better for it!
So don’t approach goal setting the same way you’ve always done it.
Get creative. If you always set a goal to lose 20 pounds, with the intent to go on a diet and head to the gym, shake it up! The diet and gym aren’t the only answer. Look for a new solution.
If you normally set a financial goal, and restrict your spending to meet it, shake it up! That’s not the only way to reach your financial goals. Look at your goals from a new angle.
4. Take Care of Your Team/Family/Self
We slowed down in March. It was nice. We practiced self-care. Our closets were cleaned out. We learned how to make bread.
But as time went on, we went stir crazy. We didn’t know how to keep living this way, and depression/hopelessness set in for a lot of us.
Employees struggled to maintain focus at home. Children struggled to pay attention to screens all day.
This will happen again, in some form. Pandemic related or not, you will face crippling set backs. So will your employees and your family. Part of your goal setting for 2021 should include rituals of self-care and service. You must take care of yourself in gentle ways, and you must continue to serve your family, employees, and clients.
{Gifts That Show Your Staff You Care}
5. Figure Out How to Motivate Yourself
Lack of motivation has been a common theme among almost all people, in all places, this year. With so many common structures removed from our lives, we struggled to find inner motivation.
If you want to meet your 2021 goals, you’ll need motivation. Analyze yourself, and figure out what leads you to a lack of motivation. Do you lose the will to shower and get dressed when you stop exercising or start eating junk food? Can’t do your best work when you don’t have social interactions? Do you struggle to get excited about goals when your house is a mess?
Figure it out, and set up a plan to keep yourself motivated. Do you need external reminders, rewards, lifestyle changes, accountability partners? Whatever it is, hoard those things that make yourself motivated (but please don’t hoard toilet paper, kthanks).
6. Put It in Writing
Traditional goal setting guides you to write your goals down:
- Write down what you hope to accomplish
- Make a plan for how you’ll get there
- Break it apart into smaller goals
- Keep written track of your progress
This is critical for 2021, because we’ve seen how quickly plans can get derailed. Having a written reminder of what you’re hoping to accomplish in 2021 is more important this year than it ever was. While we hope we won’t see anything like the great shutdown of March 2020 again, every person will have some sort of personal setback in 2021. That’s life.
Keep yourself on track with your own written words.
If you need help with 2021 goal setting in your business, give us a call. We can help you find the right way to motivate your employees and share your branding. Give us a call at (888) 441-1233, or contact us online for a free consultation.
