June FAQ — How Should I Manage My Goals for the Rest of the Year?
One Friday each month, I dedicate the post to looking at some questions I have heard recently from developing leaders. Sharing those questions and my thoughts about them is a way for me to spread the information to as many leaders and future leaders as possible. If you have a question about leadership, or just a situation you would like some additional insight on, please email me at Effective Retail Leader. Let’s take a look at this week’s question.
I am not as far along in my goals as I wanted, but for all the right reasons. What should I do?
It sure feels like this year is flying by. With that, it is easy to realize that many things you had planned to do this year haven’t begun. Fear not, they are your goals, and you can make the adjustments you need.
Here is a quick three-step process to review your current goals and ask yourself, ‘A R E these the right goals for the rest of the year?’
Assess
Take a look at the goals you set for yourself earlier in the year. Do they still make sense? Are they as relevant now as they were then? Have you started a portion of the goal, but just haven’t finished? Should you continue? Set aside some quiet time for an in-depth review of what you haveaccomplished so far and what remains. Don’t be afraid to make the adjustments you need.
In a recent article, Use a 3×3 Approach for Your Effective Mid-year Goal Check In, I provided some ideas on how you can do a full review of your goals. This can be a good way to complete the assessment you need to make the next step decisions.
Redefine
After you assess where you are with your goals and which ones still make sense is the right time to redefine or update them for the new timeline. Make any adjustments you need. Time is only one element of a goal. If the circumstances have changed, bring your goal up to speed with the current situation.
Engage
Your goals are assessed, you have redefined them to make sense for the timing — take this moment to engage fully with what the next step is to move your goal forward. You have the information fresh in your mind and likely the energy to go with it. You began this process for a reason, so don’t put off taking that next one step that can jump start the activity that will bring your goal to life.
Time passes, circumstances change, and goals sometimes get lost. The fact that you have already identified that puts you ahead of the curve. Now, take time to update the plan and engage immediately. Think about the positive feelings that will be there in the coming weeks and months as you begin to cross things off your list and see the progress you are making. Don’t let the idea of not getting something done by a specific time (in this case June) be the reason you don’t reset, re-start, and complete for the second half of the year.
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