Become a Goal-Getter in 2024

As we head into the end of 2023, the hustle and bustle of the holidays will start to ebb, the end of (some) fiscal years will close and we will begin to think less about wrapping up 2023 and more about kicking off 2024. The turn of the calendars to a new year seems a good marker in time to reflect on what we have have done in the previous 12 months and what we would still like to accomplish in the year ahead. It makes sense, then, that our society has been writing and setting “new year’s resolutions” for 200+ years. However, new year’s resolutions have gained a bit of a reputation over the centuries…namely that they don’t stick.

This known flaw in resolutions has led to the idea of swapping goal-setting for resolution-making. As a coach, goals are kind of like my currency, so I am of course onboard with this shift in thinking. However, in my work with individuals as a coach, I have come to realize that “goal-setting” is not something with which everyone is familiar, or maybe even comfortable. For many, “goals” are disconnected from the individual. They are mandates decided by the organizations where we work or peddled by professional or business development teams. Most don’t set personal or professional goals for themselves, not in the developmental sense, aside from identifying that they want to “get a promotion” or “loose weight”. As a result, telling someone to consider setting a goal instead of making a resolution without much additional context is like asking a basketball player to score a hockey goal. Sure, the individual may conceptually understand what is being asked, but may not have the full set of knowledge and skills needed to do it well.

So, here is that context.

Resolution or Goal: What’s the Difference?

Lets break it down.

Resolutions are decisions to change. They tend to be positive (I want to start…), negative (I want to stop…), progressive (I want to ___ more…), or restrictive (I want to ___ less…). Resolutions are snapshots in the present time and focus on the change itself.

Goals, on the other hand, are the objects of one’s actions and, as a result, have two parts: object (“goal”) and action. While goals are often identified by the object (“my goal is to x”), goals tend to be forward-looking and focus on the action needed to achieve the object or goal.

Can resolutions be goals? Absolutely, but not without defining the actions needed to reach that resolution as the object/goal. Without action, resolutions are less like goals and more like intentions. Intentions are our immediate motivation, grounded in the moment and tied to our present environment and emotion. This connection to the present is what makes resolutions so powerful, but also what makes them volatile. Since intentions are connected to now, they tend to change later. A day/week/month passes, our intentions/emotions/motivations change, and the resolutions we made in the past can feel less important, less doable in the current environment or less tied to the emotion that made the resolution powerful in the first place.

Goals, however, are tied to action rather than intention. The emotion or motivation may change, but the steps to achieve the objective tend not to shift as drastically. Likewise, goals - when set properly - can actually prepare us for the waxing and waning of intention, meaning a greater likelihood of success.

Four ways to get the goal.

Now that the definitions are (hopefully) more clear, it’s time to get to work. It can be overwhelming as you try to think up both an objective AND a plan, but there are some tried and true methods of success. Below are a few things to remember, each meant to help to make the idea (and act) of setting and achieving goals a little less daunting.

1. Keep it single.

When we get into a goal-setting mind set, it can be easy to think about all the things we want to do in the future. For most of us, that is a lot of things. As a result, we set our goals to reflect our desires, which means attempting far too many goals. However, trying to tackle too many goals can actually derail us before we are even out of the starting gate.

Our capacity to focus on more than one goal is limited. Some researches theorize that the executive function needed to focus on more than one thing does not truly exist. Shifting focus to one thing diminishes our ability to focus on another. What this means for our goals is that by having more than one goal, we are taking away our ability to fully focus on the actions needed for successfully getting the goal, splitting our attention between two or more paths and lessening our chances of success — or, at the very least, lengthening the amount of time and effort needed to achieve them.

By choosing one primary goal, you are able to devote more time and effort to its completion, and increasing the chances of achieving your aims.

2. Keep it simple.

When we first begin brainstorming what goal we would like to accomplish in the future, often the biggest and/or brightest option drops into view. As high-performing professionals, we are taught (and tend to want) to take on the big stuff. However, just because it is the first or the biggest goal to show its face doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best one to go and get.

The problem with big goals is, well, they are big. Bigger goals means there is a larger span between starting and finishing the goal, requiring more resources, providing more opportunities for error, and suggesting a much harder recovery if veered off course. The answer: make it simpler.

As you are identifying goals, instead of jumping at the biggest thing and going for it, think about if that goal can be broken down into smaller or simpler pieces. Doing so makes the actions required more manageable and less overwhelming. Not only that, with a shorter span between start and finish and less opportunity to get off track, the wins can come more often — and small wins can be a huge boost to performance (among other things). The best part is that by working on the smaller piece, you are still working toward the bigger goal, just in a more sustainable way.

3. Keep it SMART.

Coined in the 1980s by George Doran, Arthur Miller and James Cunningham in their article for the Management Review, SMART goals are referenced in everything from coaching to academia to business administration as the Cadillac of goal setting methodology, with SMART being an acronym for: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic/relevant and timely. As the methodology goes:

Specific means getting into the details. When setting a goal, it is important to know as much as possible. What is the goal? Who will it involve? What resources are needed to achieve it? The more you know, the more you can understand what needs to be done.

Measurable means understanding how the goal can be tracked. How will you know you are moving in the right direction? How will you measure success? What will have changed?

Attainable means that you have all the capabilities to reach the goal. A goal that is not able to be reached is not a goal, it is a carrot. You should not be aiming for something that you do not have the resources to attain. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t expect to be stretched or challenged, but be honest with yourself and set goals that you know you can accomplish.

Realistic and Relevant refers to how the goal aligns with your internal compass. In other words, what is the point of the goal? How does it align with your core principles and longer term aims? Does it make sense given the time and space? Aiming for a goal just for the sake of aiming for a goal without a larger purpose is a waste of your time and energy.

Timely means there should be a timeline. When do you want hit your first checkpoint? When can you expect to get to the finish line? Deadlines are great motivators. They help to keep us on track and assist with task management — and just to be clear, establishing parameters doesn’t mean the goalposts cannot be adjusted if things change. Goal timelines/deadlines should be guides, not boundaries.

4. Keep it significant.

So you’ve established the “what”, but how is it connected to the “why”? The “why” acts as motivation and purpose. Goals that are connected to a purpose are filtered by that purpose, meaning it is easier to focus on what needs to be done, understand what needs to be avoided and keep you on track. This can be as easy as establishing your goal, and then asking yourself, “because…?” (Ex: “I want to achieve this goal because ______.”)

Goal-setter v. Goal-getter

Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance, you must keep moving. - Albert Einstein

Understanding what it means to set and approach goals is a great way to get started as you think about 2024 and beyond. However, as the old saying goes, “best laid plans…often go awry.” In other words, setting goals is one thing, getting them accomplished is another. So, what is the difference between goal-setting and goal-getting? It is all about forward movement.

First, get started. Once you’ve laid the plan, make sure you are stepping off the starting block. Some will try to pick a specific time/date to start working on their established goals, which is why the beginning of the year is so popular. However, those arbitrary start lines can be anxiety provoking, or even serve as rationalization to do things you maybe shouldn’t do ahead of getting started. Instead of picking a time/date, just start. Now. If you know what you plan to do, just start working toward it.

Second, keep going. There will be bumps in the road. There will be times when you will get distracted, feel unmotivated or want to quit. To avoid letting those inevitabilities get in the way of your progress, think about what might cause the distraction or demotivation now. Then, think about what you can do to counteract it. Start building our your response today, long before the distractions and demotivation arrive. Doing so will allow you to react efficiently and keep you on track towards your goal.

If you are looking to do big things in 2024 and beyond, hopefully the suggestions above help to light the path. The thing to remind yourself along the way is that you know yourself better than anyone, and you likely know exactly how to move forward to accomplish all the successes you desire. Sometimes you just need a little motivation. And if January 1, 2024 is motivating you, then go for it!