It is a New Year and with that often comes the hope that things will change for the better. Although I am generally someone with high hopes and spirits, my team members still remind me today that I frequently use the words “hope is not a strategy”. To get from point A to B you need a plan, otherwise, you might fall victim to another saying that “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there”. 

In part one of How to Make Changes that Last, I reviewed my recommended formula to get you from point A to B in five steps (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-succeed-making-changes-last-part-1-2-angela-meyburg-acc-cpc-). For the next part, I want to focus on setting goals. 

When it comes to goal setting, there is not one approach that fits all. Not everyone is a gifted planner, and as people, we have different motivators, e.g., how performance-oriented we are vs. how we want to feel once we accomplish our goals. 

If you work in the corporate world, you are likely familiar with setting performance-oriented SMART goals. This acronym stands for:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Reasonable

Time-bound

SMART goals are not a bad way to organize a strategy around goals, but they do have some inherent limits. At work, you and your manager need to negotiate as to what is “reasonable” and “achievable”, there is much variation on what that might look like between managers and frequently there are conflicting goals between departments. Another critical component that is missing in this picture is your motivation and your commitment to execute. 

When setting goals with a client, I still use SMART goals, but I add a component that further individualizes the plan and breaks it down into smaller steps. IPEC refers to this process as AIM SMART. The acronym AIM stands for, Acceptable, Ideal, and Middle. When working with this method, the individual takes into consideration what they are willing to commit to, given other priorities or deterrents that could get in the way. 

There is another powerful tool I share with my clients, especially high-performance-oriented individuals. It is called the ABC-Game Plan for Guaranteed Success. It approaches goal setting with a mastery mindset so that you can detach from the outcome in case you miss the goal, but you still learn from the experience giving it your best effort. The ABC-Game plan provides a safety net when things do not go as planned or you relied too heavily on others and things you cannot control when you set your goals. 

Regardless of the approach you choose on how to set goals, I would like to reiterate what I said in the first part of this series about how to make changes that last. Find the reason why you want to make changes in the first place. Know what you REALLY want and dig deep to find it. It is only with that motivation that is connected to your identity that you will find the strength to commit 100% to what you set out to do. 

I wish you much success in your endeavors to make changes that last. If you are looking for an accountability partner and a guide to get you from point A to B, reach out to me at angela@belladonnacareercoach.com so that hope is not your only strategy!