When is the Right Time for Goal Setting and Goal Reviewing?

A good starting point is to look back at the last year. Revisit your goals and be honest about what you did and didn’t achieve. But be kind - even if you didn’t complete some of them 100%, chances are you made in roads and started to make headway. We tend to be hard on ourselves, sometimes setting almost unattainable goals in the first place. Quarterly reviews can help you to re-adjust goals based on progress made or unforeseen events that may prevent you from realising them in their entirety. It’s also easy for bigger goals to get lost in day to day life events, so a regular check in can help keep them on track.
If you recognise that some of the goals you set for this year were actually unachievable, you will be able to plan more realistically for next year. And by being honest with yourself and making a note of all the things you achieved, you will find you have made way more progress than you first thought. It’s easy to forget what happened a few months ago, so regular reviews can be invaluable in remembering and consequently celebrating the wins, no matter how seemingly small.

Now you know how this year went, and are hopefully feeling positive about successes, start thinking about next year. Perhaps you want to build on this year? Think about what might have stopped you achieving certain things this year and allow for contingency time next year.
Again, be kind to yourself and don’t expect to achieve everything in the first couple of months. Spread your goals out across the year, factoring in busy times and holidays. Since the pandemic, we’ve all got busier and it feels like there are more demands on our time than ever before. This is in complete contrast to the pandemic and lockdown days. Perhaps our planning for next year should consider this too, which might mean setting fewer or certainly some slightly less enormous goals.
Always keep in mind that it’s not just the end goal you are striving for. The journey to get there is invaluable and full of lessons. All the smaller steps that get you there are also vital – miss one out and you may not reach where you want to be.

Accountability is absolutely key here. Of course you can achieve a great deal by yourself but it can be difficult to keep the momentum going, especially if you work alone or remotely. Finding a group or other person can give you the support you need to keep going. This can also be a good idea when it comes to setting your goals in the first place.
A coach can be invaluable for this. I offer business and personal coaching so can listen to your ideas, goals and aspirations for all aspects of your life, and help you work through any challenges. You know how it can help put things in perspective when you say them out loud – the same goes for coaching. Simply by talking through your ideas and being listened to in a non-judgemental way will give you the confidence to commit some of those ideas to goals. We can talk about your goals and challenges now and then have check in sessions next year to see how you’re doing and if you need to reassess and refocus.
Book some time now before the rest of your year disappears and you’ll be ready to hit the ground running next year. Contact me today and let’s get you on track for the new year.