A resolution is a decision to do or not do something; most of the time, it's just a wish or at best, a small attempt to accomplish something, hence the title of this article. Resolutions are weak and rarely generate any real results. I've never really cared for new year's resolutions and can't remember if I ever made any real commitments, but I got something better much better and that is goals. I know the idea of goals is cliche to many, and you will probably disregard this entire post after reading that sentence, but I have to say-- they work.
Learning the hard way
If you would have asked me about goals 5 years ago, I would have brushed it off and thought it was cheesy and for people that have nothing better to do with their time. But, if you ask me now, I will say that it is the one thing that keeps me focused, grounded, and moving forward. I had to learn this the hard way. The nature of my profession, which I started exactly 5 years ago, is that you have to be a self starter. No one tells you what to do, no one monitors how you spend your time, and no one really even cares if you are there or not. The only thing that really matters is if you are closing business and growing. The first year, I found myself twiddling my thumbs and staring at the ceiling. I had no goals, and I was waiting for new business to fall into my lap. I had a small salary to keep me from starving, but even that was set to phase out. I needed to start producing. Something had to change, and what changed was my attitude toward goals, and that changed everything.
Set goals and track progress
I first started tracking everything I did. I tracked every call I made, every appointment I had, and ever piece of business I closed (even if it was just a few dollars in revenue). I kind of became obsessed with tracking, so I soon had good data. Once I had the statistics on myself, I used that to start setting goals. If I wanted to achieve X, I had to have a certain amount of calls, which would lead to a certain amount of appointments, and I would close X amount of business. I soon realized that it works. I had daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, and annual goals. You might think I am making this up, but I clearly remember when Friday would roll around, I would check my numbers, and I didn't beat myself up over production; I beat myself up if I didn't hit my weekly goals for client interactions and appointments. This helped me achieve two things:
1. I stayed busy and always knew what I should be doing.
2. When I was falling behind on my production goals, I wouldn't be discouraged because I knew if I was reaching my activity goals, production would follow. And it did.
Goals are universal
I used my experience and my profession as an example, but once I understood the importance, I started applying it to other parts of my life. I talked in past tense, but that doesn't mean I stopped setting goals. It is now a habit, and I enjoying doing it. I feel more organized and can see if things are moving forward or backwards. Goals are a universal concept and work regardless what you do; it's just a matter of if you are willing to apply it to yourself and hold yourself accountable or not. I once heard a phrase: "It's not a goal until you write it down," and I believe that 100%. If you want to set some goals for yourself professionally, personally, spiritually, then do it. Come up with realistic goals that matter, write them down, break them up into smaller goals, and track your progress. Let me know how it goes!
Vladimir Nikitenko, CFP®
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