SPRINT to Goal Achievement

Goal setting is tested and true. However, we also know that most people that set goals, especially resolutions at the beginning of the year fail to achieve those goals. Statistics still indicate that 92% of people give up on their new goals not long after they begin. Could it be that people lose sight of what they originally set out to achieve?At the beginning of a year and a goal is set, we all have a mindset that we have the full year to achieve those goals. Three hundred sixty-five glorious days to get our big aspirations accomplished. We may start with a flurry, make some progress, but then the real world begins to get in the way. It becomes easier to say, ‘I have plenty of time to get that accomplished.’ So we let the distractions interrupt us, and it begins a cycle of other interruptions, and soon we are well off track. We feel time is on our side until it isn’t and we realize the year is almost over and we have not achieved the goals we set.There may be a better way to look at this. What if those windows of time were much smaller? If we broke our year into more constrained periods of time, we can create a sense of urgency that keeps us fully engaged in what we need to accomplish NOW. That also means we need to adjust our goals to fit into these windows, but I think that is a benefit as well. Too often people set goals that are far too lofty to begin with, so knowing that the window of time is smaller can help contain the aspirations we are looking to achieve in that period.I am still an advocate of SMART goals -SpecificMeasurableActionableReasonableTime basedI also believe that only begins the process. The overall goal cycle needs some additional pieces to round it out. It makes your goals SMARTER.EvaluateReact

Evaluate

Evaluate your progress on the goal you have set. Where are you making a difference and seeing success? Where are the opportunities or roadblocks that you need to overcome?

React

React to the evaluation you have performed. Identifying any obstacles or even successes is only half the equation. You need to take action on what you are discovering about the activities you have already taken (or not taken). If you see progress and success, how do you continue to build on that? Can you accelerate the positive outcomes? If you have discovered obstacles, what changes need to be made to work around or remove them to achieve the expected results?

A Different Way to Look at Goal Setting

Seeing all of these things in the context of a big picture can be challenging to maintain the urgency of your results. This is especially true when completing the evaluation and react steps. It is far too easy to say, ‘I need to give it more time’ without fully reviewing the steps you have already taken. This is where the SPRINTS method can help to solve for the ‘HOW’ to accomplish your goals throughout the year.Using SPRINTS will break your goals into smaller, actionable bites. Place your goals into smaller 13-week windows. Then sprint each week to make achievements towards your goal.StrategicPrioritizedRewardingImpactfulNext stepsTimelyStretchStrategic - as you break down your goals into smaller pieces, be selective in how you go about those choices. What makes the most sense to accomplish first. Is there a prerequisite for steps that will need to be performed later? Give thought to how you will set up your goal to be achieved in the next 13 weeks - week by week.Prioritized - once you have a bit of strategy about how you will achieve the goal, take time to prioritize which of those steps needs to be accomplished first. Will one build momentum for the others? Will certain pieces lead to immediate differences that will propel you forward. Not all steps are created equal, so make sure you get the most valuable steps in place first.Rewarding - one of the best ways you can ensure you will stick with your goals is to make it rewarding for yourself. Are your goals or the steps you are creating driven by intrinsic motivation? You want to feel good about what you are working towards. First and foremost the goals you set for yourself, should be just that: for you.Impactful - is the step you are taking ongoing to make a meaningful difference in the overall goal. Make sure as you build the steps to your goal achievement that each piece will contribute. When you only have short periods of time to achieve change, every action needs to count.Next Steps - review your actions weekly and define your next steps to success. What will be the next piece you need to address to move forward. This is really part of the evaluate step I mentioned above. Each week define what the next action will be to move forward.Timely - each step comes down to whether it makes the most sense for the moment or stage you are in. Working hand in hand with the prioritize step, determine if the next step is the right step for the moment. This is also an excellent way to maintain a high level of urgency - do you have time for what you are setting as your next step? Keep the pace high so that you are always moving towards the goal you set.Stretch - this goes with the overall goal as well as the steps you are taking along the way. Are your stretching yourself to new levels by working on this goal or specific action? One risk with shorter SPRINT goals would be that you set softer goals to match the compressed time frame. Ultimately, that will not get you where you want to go. On the flip side, don’t stretch too far that you cannot achieve those goals or step and become frustrated with the entire process. Evaluating your stretch comes from combining all of the steps above - especially the steps of prioritizing, impactful, and timeless.Take the big goals and make them more manageable. Create urgency by bending time differently. Establish a weekly plan for reviewing and updating your goals, knowing that each 13-week cycle will be like coming to the end of a year. Having weekly action items for yourself that are meaningful to you and the outcome will help you see progress along the way. You will always have priorities and next steps available to you to make a difference towards the bigger, long-term outcome you seek for yourself.How will your SPRINT to new achievements this year? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section.Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash