Our last blog of 2015 addressed how you can make New Year’s resolutions really meaningful … and make them really count for something. It addressed the needed ingredient of a definitive plan built around 4 keys that make the difference between being successful … or not. Great! So I’m going to pretend that this hit home with at least some of you readers and here we are … 2016 and raring to go!  

But wait! Because we’re talking about goals for the year … rather long-term given that it’s 12 months away, there is one significant ingredient necessary for your efforts to be realized as intended. That is your ability to be in and maintain focus.   It has everything to do with achieving anything we set out to do and the further away the intended goal … the greater the opportunity for distractions will only serve to get in the way of our success.

An article written by the editorial team of ‘MindTools’ defined focus as:
“… Your ability to center your attention and energy on a specific task, object, or activity, for a sustained length of time.
It’s often quite simple to focus on short-term tasks and goals, because you see results quickly, and this helps to keep your motivation levels high. However, it’s much more difficult to focus on goals that might take months, years or decades to realize. One reason for this is that you may lose sight of what you want to achieve, and why. It can also be difficult to recognize and measure progress on longer-term goals, especially in the early stages. This means that it’s easy to get distracted by shorter-term priorities, and by other projects that seem more exciting. However, the ability to focus in the long term is a key skill for anyone who wants to be successful.

In coaching we often work with a client to help them define specific and realistic goals around which they devise their workable plan to achieve them. And although their desire and intent is clear and present there are several things that tend to be blips within their screen that divert attention elsewhere and take them off track. Here are a few. Maybe you’ll see yourself in some of them:

• Blip # 1
  We get a telephone call or hear the tone of an incoming email … at the same time you’re trying to work through a particularly challenging aspect of your ‘plan. What do we do? We take the call or open and respond to the email and why? Because we can and it’s comparatively easy when we feel a bit stuck in working a part of our plan.

• Blip # 2
  A co-worker stops by wanting just a second of our time and in the name of being ‘nice’ and wanting to be helpful, we stop what we’re doing on the plan and become side-tracked on something totally unrelated. “Why” we ask ourselves? Because we want to help others achieve their tasks and being honest … the plan we’re prodding forward on is a challenge. Why not take a break and be helpful? Step aside plan!

• Blip # 3
  We remember something we promised to send to a customer or client and realize that we should do this now while thinking of it even though it’s not due this moment. But what the heck … we’ll get it to them on the early side and honestly … we’ll accomplish something positive and avoid the struggle we’re having in executing our plan that will elevate our success.

• Blip # 4
  We know that executing our plan is going to be a challenge. Why? Because we have a history of not maintaining focus and because the plan calls for me doing things that are just and simply uncomfortable for me. At least we’re honest and maybe with time we’ll get more comfortable and follow through. So great! We’ve just given ourselves the pass that threatens to undermine what we have designed for ourselves and actually achieving it.

  The more we can sensitize ourselves to recognize reoccurring ‘blips’ that serve to vie for our attention, we have the ability to see them as distractions that can get in the way of looking back on our year as an accomplished one. 2016 … a year in which we set out specific intended achievements, created the plan to accomplish them and then did so! Now that’s a memorable year and our wish for YOU!

Mike Dorman

Annually, in December, we have traditionally blogged about looking ahead into the crystal ball of the coming year. One year ago in our blog entitled ‘A New Year’s Resolution or a REAL Resolve. You Choose!’, it spoke to what we could do that would enable us to achieve the goals … step by step. So how did you do? Hopefully you tried to improve and it worked!

Here we are just days away from 2016 and again, it’s not unusual that we give thought to what we’d like to accomplish over the next 12 months. On an individual basis these thoughts often translate into the oh-so familiar New Year’s Resolutions.   Despite the high hopes and good intentions, however, most of us fail to turn our New Year’s resolutions into reality.

The good news … if there’s good news in having company in this arena … is that we’re not alone. The statistics on the chances you’ll maintain change are fairly dismal. Most studies show resolutions begin to drop off after a week and only about 40% of those who made resolutions actually stick to their goals. If you’ve encountered difficulties following through with your goals, now is the time to resolve to make 2016 different.

Amy Morin, a contributor to Forbes, has identified four keys to make our resolutions stick … making the plans work … in 2016. They are rather simple, straight forward and worth incorporating:

1. Identify Your Readiness to Change
   Sometimes, the pressure to establish a New Year’s resolution makes us choose a goal before we’re ready to commit. Although we may feel motivated initially, we haven’t really thought about all the work the resolution entails. Thinking, “I guess I should get healthier next year,” without committing to eating healthy and exercising isn’t likely to bode well. Wanting a raise without what you will do to justify one i.e. by increasing your value to the company, is a wish without a plan or sense of personal responsibility. And your plan doesn’t need to take the action on January 1. Rather you can increase your motivation to achieve your goal while creating the plan and related time-line for doing so during the year.
2. Believe You Can Do It!
   A lot of people try to create change, despite a nagging voice in their heads that says, “This will never work.” If your thoughts constantly drag you down and beat you up, your chances of success are greatly diminished. You’ll likely talk yourself out of taking action as soon as the going gets rough. Creating long-lasting change requires confidence. Counter the self-doubt by writing down the evidence that informs you that you will be able to reach your goal. Keep the resulting list where you can review it often to ‘affirm your strengths and reduce your negative thinking.’
3. Think Constructively About Setbacks
   Change in our behavior often involves at least a couple of setbacks. However, it’s the way we respond to them that determines the likelihood of reaching our goals. If we approach our goal allowing for the potential of a mistake that takes us off track we view it as a temporary ‘inconvenience’ and enhance the potential that we will benefit from the error and move on. If we see the error as failure we are motivated to say goodbye to the resolution.
4. Build Mental Strength
   For many people, New Year’s resolutions focus on tangible changes. Although tangible – and measurable – goals are important, it’s impossible to reach those goals without mental strength. It’s the mental strength that will help us reach them. Increasing your mental strength will help you follow through with your goals, even as your motivation declines – which, for many people, is mid-January.

Turning our resolutions into achievements requires that we create the strategic plan of how we will do so. Incorporating the above keys will serve as the glue that makes our resolutions real and makes them stick. 2016? Watch out! Dreaming is just the first step of relishing the achievements accomplished next year!

To all of our readers, our wishes for 2016 being wonderful and successful in every way you choose!

Mike Dorman

Just one week ago most of us did what we normally do on Thanksgiving … ate, ate and ate some more. Chances are that we all feasted on   all things ‘Thanksgiving’ and our plates ‘runneth’ over. Isn’t that part of the tradition?. I’ve found that many people, as a part of their traditions, ask those at the table to recite the things for which they are particularly thankful. The range of ‘things’ is endless … from good health … or loving family and friends … or successes they may have experienced.

So this made me curious. I wondered what I would like to be able to give thanks for at next year’s dinner? I mean really … why not spend a bit of time looking forward and identifying what are we aiming to have, earn and accomplish just 1 year from now … Thanksgiving – 2016? Then, with each item on that wish list we have the ability to create the plan as to how and what we can and need to do to make our wish list a certainty.

This can be exciting. Consider these examples and related plan that will enable you to achieve your goals:

• Our Jobs
  • What we might want:
    What do we want to be doing in a year? Is it a new position with more responsibility? A different department wherein we get to be in an area of greater personal interest? Mastering other skills that will enhance our value to our company and the potential of greater earnings?
  • The action plan:
    What are the skills that you lack in order to advance in your field or move to that other department? What are the ways you can learn them? A Course? Some reading? Finding a mentor who can guide your learning and your progress? Who are the best people to discuss your desire and plan with within the organization so that the effort you make is a solid one?

• Our Relationships
  • What we might want:
    With whom do we want to become closer … as with a friend, a work associate or a family member? And why is this important? What will it add to our life in general or our feeling accomplished, the desired warmth and connection?
  • The action plan:
    What are the specific relationships that you want to better or establish? What has or is in the way of your having been able to do this sooner? What can or do you need to do in order to get around the barrier … a conversation? … A letter? Help from an intermediary?

• Ourselves
  • What we might want:
    What have we long wanted to master as new skills and just never have gotten around to it? What hobby have we often wished we had the time to pursue to say nothing of learning the related capability? What pursuit has always interested us and yet we have always found the reason that we couldn’t, shouldn’t or can’t? It is a sport, being an artist or traveling? What is getting in the way of moving forward on anything that is just for YOU and your sense of fulfillment? Why? What do you fear that keeps you from making the leap?
  • The action plan
    There’s something to be said for the Nike slogan … “just do it!” What specifically do you need to learn in order to pursue something that’s all about you? Can you learn this through research? Or is there someone with whom you can connect who can get you started and be your champion through your process? What’s that? You say you don’t have time? Come on … just make time because you can. Envision what it looks like from the other side … the accomplished side!  

Thanksgiving ’16 seems like a long year away. It may be long and yet,  we know it will be fast.  Just imagine … sitting around your table and giving thanks for all that you accomplished because you dared to dream it and plan for it. Congratulations! It’s a great feeling isn’t it?

Mike Dorman