Beyond New Year Resolutions: The PACE Model for Setting Personal Goals

Hello, I’m Kenneth and this is the first issue of ReadLift 一 my newsletter on leadership, strategy, management, and productivity. I publish it bi-weekly so do subscribe if these topics interest you.

As I warm up to sharing more on topics that I am most passionate about, I must acknowledge that it is the first month of the year — most of us are back to work in high spirits, the foundations for this year’s goals have been laid, and steps are already being taken towards success.

While this might be a modus operandi in corporate contexts, on a more personal level, people genuinely need a system for making plans for their personal development, both long- and short-term.

So, pause. The first week of the year is gone. How did it go? Be honest. Do you think that at this point you have your direction figured out yet, or are you struggling with a half-baked plan? If you are struggling, you’re in good company because I have been there.

This is what clicked for me: drilling down to the basics and asking the key questions. Through this process, I have found the “PACE” model to be an interesting approach to seamless goal setting for personal development.

This mnemonic stands for Pursue, Assess, Choices and Execute. It takes a more realistic and practical approach to goal-setting from a personal standpoint, similar to the SWOT analysis used in a business context. Let’s break it down:

P: Pursue

Start by taking inventory of who you are and where you want to be. Define your long- and short-term goals to plan a clear roadmap for your growth.

Key questions:

• What's important to you right now?
• How do you picture your ideal future?
• What challenges are you currently facing?
• What skills do you want to learn or develop?
• What are you working towards, and how can you express your goal positively?

A: Assess

This is where you do a reality check, matching your already-stated goals to your current status quo and determining what needs to change, what needs to be maintained, and what additional skills will be required to bring your goals to life.

Key questions:

• What are your needs?
• What excuses are holding you back?
• How have you worked on personal growth?
• What's going well, and where can you improve?
• How will your goals impact different parts of your life?
• What obstacles are you facing, and how do you handle self-sabotage and fears?

C: Choices

Just like how the military maps strategies and allocates resources based on priority, you have to make choices on actions to take and concessions to consider.

Key questions:

• What's your first step?
• If you knew you'd succeed, what would you do?
• If money wasn't a problem, what choice appeals to you?
• If helping someone with your issue, what advice would you give?
• Using your strengths, what's the most impactful action for you right now?

E: Execute

At this stage, you flesh out your action plan and establish a timeline for execution. Define what you will do and when.

Key questions:

• How do you define success?
• What steps will you take, and when?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how motivated are you to achieve your goal?
• What specific tasks are involved, and when will you complete them?
• In what order will you tackle these tasks for the most effective way forward?

I hope these questions from the PACE assessment help you gain a clear vision for the year. Don’t forget to subscribe so you get the next issue in two weeks. Thank you, and all the best in 2024.