Ready, Set, Goals: The Three Non-Negotiables in Goal Planning
This is a three-part series to goal setting.
Setting Goals: How to Lead the Team to Success with Goal Setting
Planning Goals: The Three Non-Negotiables
Taking Action: It’s all in the approach!
In part two of our series on goal setting, we follow last week’s article on goal setting. Deciding what you want—really—is the essential first step.
The next step is to have a solid plan in place. One of the main reasons we quit goals is that we don’t plan for the resistance. James Clear’s most quotable moment in his amazing book, Atomic Habits, says:
“We don’t rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems.”
There are three non-negotiables of a goal planning:
Activities
Habits and Skills
Accountability.
Let’s review each of them in detail.
1. Activities, Cadence, and the Calendar
Achieving a goal becomes much easier when it is broken into manageable time commitments and scheduled into your calendar. Effective planning involves setting clear milestones. By breaking your goal into smaller, actionable steps and tying them to a timeline, you create a roadmap for success.
When planning your day, the most important task is the one that will make progress toward your goal.
Goal planning is like going off for a hike in the woods and stopping every hour to check your compass, rather than ending up lost in the wilderness.
Ask yourself:
How much time will I fiercely protect against all other priorities?
What will I stop doing to make room for these activities?
What would be reasonable milestones to measure backward and celebrate along the way?
“Don’t show me your priorities; show me your calendar.”— Stephen Covey
2. Habits and Skills
There is strong evidence, according to behavioural psychologists, that our brain is hardwired to keep us where we are. We’d rather be comfortable and unskilled than uncomfortable and risk failure.
In their book, Immunity to Change, Kegan and Lahey describe the push and pull of learning new things as the pedal and brake. When you correctly identify areas that need to change and improve, you put your foot on the gas pedal. When you avoid improvement because of the fear of change, it is like slamming your foot on the brake.
Consider these questions:
What do I need to get better at to achieve my goal?
What will compete for my attention and prevent me from taking action?
What are my limiting beliefs that will hold me back?
What habits would set me up for success?
What habits would help the team win?
3. Inviting Accountability and the Thirty Day Sprint
The ideal partnership in goal attainment is working with a 'buddy' who has their own aspirations for growth. Setting up a mutual support system is simple: commit to an action, follow through, and share your progress.
To keep things fresh and effective, consider using 30-day sprints. These short-term commitments fit seamlessly into your calendar, giving you the flexibility to switch things up while compounding the benefits of consistent growth.
Accountability also requires breaking goals into small, daily actions—'gas pedal' activities that drive momentum. For example, two years ago, I set two goals for myself: to walk for 60 minutes every day at 1:00p.m. and to read 100 books. By listening to audiobooks during my walks, I combined two habits into a daily routine.
Each evening, I’d send two checkmarks to my friend, who was doing her own 30-day sprint. This simple act of accountability kept us both motivated. We also deepened our friendship and support for one another in living our best lives. Nothing is better than cheering on a friend!
Ideas for Accountability:
Find someone who you are excited about sharing your growth journey.
Break down your goals into daily accountability, for example:
Three sales activities a day.
Thirty minutes of active learning time a day.
Sixty minutes of exercise a day
Consider habit stacking—pair two or three habits together.
Planning is as essential to goals as food and water are to our survival. Without it, our deepest desires will always be starved for attention. Take some time to review and reflect on your own goal-planning system. We all have one, even if it is not articulated. The best systems are the ones that you create for yourself. Add a few of these ideas and set yourself up for your best year ever.
Set goals + Plan + Act = Achieve
I know that you’ve got this … and I’ve got you! Let’s do this – together!
I’d love to hear from you… what is your big goal and what habits and skills will you work on next year?
Next week I’ll bring it all together with my best tips for taking action!
The Book Shelf – Books I Love to Inspire Your Journey
I highly recommend this book for developing a successful and sustainable plan for bringing your goals to life by aligning them with who you want to be. James Clear emphasizes that the goal is not to run, it is to become a runner.
What stood out for me in this book was the powerful framework of these four things:
1. Make it obvious (make it visible)
2. Make it attractive (fun, like adding a buddy)
3. Make it easy (remove the friction such as anticipate resistance)
4. Make it satisfying (reward yourself at mile markers)
I have incorporated all of these ideas into my own planning framework. What could you do to make this framework your own?
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