As we approach the end of 2020, a year filled with uncertainty, fear, challenge, loss, innovation, and so much more, it’s ever more important to take some time to reflect on, acknowledge, and celebrate even the smallest successes from this past year to set your goals for 2021.

Reflection Is a Practice

Reflection is a practice that is extremely helpful for many reasons. It is a practice that requires us to slow down and to get curious. I imagine many of my readers read the above and without giving it any careful thought; wondered if they might not even have any accomplishments they can acknowledge since this year has been unlike others, with new challenges never encountered before. This is where reflection allows one to dig deep, get vulnerable, and face truths. And, I imagine there are many great truths each of my readers will be able to connect with as well as many learnings.

Positive Impact of Celebrating Success

When we take the time to focus on our successes, and celebrate them, many benefits are achieved including, but not limited to:

• Get energized to continue moving forward to achieve more greatness
• Gain confidence, self-respect, satisfaction, and happiness
• Able to use the learnings from how we accomplished the successes to help us achieve future goals
• Continue to grow personally and professionally through this self-reflection
• Build resilience
• Celebrating others builds greater connection and future outcomes; successes can become contagious
• Sets yourself up for success as you start to focus on what’s next

When considering setting your intentions and goals for the future, coming off of celebrating successes, you will be that much more energized to set realistic, and lofty goals.

Setting Goals

When setting goals, it is important to set realistic and achievable goals. And setting goals for 2021, when we know we are still facing a pandemic, may be more challenging than any year you have completed goal setting in the past. Again, there is still the reality that what we have been able to achieve in the past may be more challenging in the coming year. That said, having completed your reflection on your successes during a turbulent year can inform you of just what is possible!

• Set goals that are meaningful to you – ones you truly believe in and are excited/motivated to achieve
• Ensure the goals align with your values
• Use SMART goal setting as a guide – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound
• Commit to the goals – write them down and share them with someone
• Make an action plan of what you will need, steps required, and dates by when you expect to achieve them; hold yourself accountable
• Be honest with yourself

What practice does your organization have in place for goal setting? For a company looking to set clear priorities and expectations, setting goals is critical. Individual goals should be linked to the organization’s goals. If you are looking to motivate, engage, and retain your talent, effective goal setting is essential. Looking for a thought partner? Let’s connect.

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” – Pablo Picasso