Now we’re closing in on the New Year, you’ve probably got a list in your head of all the resolutions that you’ll forget about by February. Especially with that frenzy at the beginning of the year! Sometimes all that’s needed is a little reminder to make time for ourselves or our business to grow and improve. So, in the spirit of 2019’s fast approach, here’s a few tips and tricks to help when planning for the future.
Pick a theme for your goal.
Something simple and broad, but still something you’re passionate about achieving. Try things like “increase sales revenue” or “generate new clients” for businesses. If it’s a personal vision board, think of where you’d like to be this time next year. If you’re having trouble picking a theme, think about something that should’ve been done already but hasn’t, or even a thought that’s been nagging at you for a while.
Create a vision/goal board.
This especially helps if you’re a more creatively driven or visual person. Check out Pinterest for some ideas if you want to make it aesthetically pleasing, but really, it’s just good to have it written down somewhere. Start with your ‘ultimate’ goal at the top or in the centre (or wherever it is you feel like putting it,) and then have space for your mini goals – small tasks and milestones that when added up get you where you need to go. If you’re working in a team, try and assign small tasks to the team member who’d suit it best.
Having a vision board forces you to be specific about what you want to achieve and allows you to remove or say no to things that don’t align with your vision or goals. It serves as a concrete representation of your future and where you want to be.
Everyone struggles to get motivated at some point, your vision board can help there too! Having a visual representation of your end goal – whether it be by having solely pictures of what you want your future to look like, or simply a checklist – emphasises just what it is you’re working towards and is a reminder that all your hard work will pay off, and there’ll be a pot of gold at the end of your rainbow.
Your board can unleash your inner potential, there isn’t any limit to what you can do, what you can be and what you can have.
Do some micro activities everyday.
It’ll make the job seem smaller than it is, plus the added bonus of checking off those micro jobs on your goal list gives you that little feeling of accomplishment (even if you’ve done the simplest of tasks.) Put aside a minimum of 15-20 minutes every day to work on your assigned tasks, and you’ll find that you’re making more progress than you realise.
Last but not least, make sure to treat yourself! Give yourself (and your team!) a little positive reinforcement. Everyone likes being told they’re doing a good job, plus the promise of a reward always spurs people to get things done. It also helps to have an incentive to do the boring tasks no one really wants to do.
And remember to celebrate accordingly when you’ve accomplished your goal!
