Goals: Your North Star for the Year Ahead
Toby Goldstein
Building Teams & Leaders ?? | Your Go-To Expert for Leadership & Employee Training and Questions | Empowering Over 50 National Companies | Ready to Elevate Your Team? ?? DM Me to Learn More!
As the year winds down, many of us are caught up in the rush to wrap things up—closing out projects, writing performance reviews, and setting new goals. But how often do we pause to reflect on the goals we set last year? Or, for some, the goals we meant to set but didn’t quite get to?
Let me tell you about a few of my clients who did just that—paused, reflected, and realigned.
The wake up call- One small business I worked with started the year aiming to increase team productivity by 20%. But when I came in mid-year to facilitate a workshop, they admitted the goal had fallen by the wayside. Why? They didn’t revisit it regularly, so it got lost in the shuffle of day-to-day operations.
We refocused by breaking the goal into smaller milestones and adding accountability check-ins. By year-end, they hit 18%—not perfect, but a massive improvement.
Lesson: A goal without a plan and accountability is just a wish.
Sometimes you must pivot- Another client had big ambitions: launching a new service line. But three months in, market conditions shifted, and their original strategy wasn’t viable anymore. Instead of abandoning the goal, they adapted. We redefined success and outlined a new path forward.
Lesson: Flexibility isn’t failure. It’s how you keep moving forward when the unexpected happens.
Go SMART- A client came to me with a goal that was... let’s say “aspirational.” Their words: “We want to grow.” After some probing, we turned that into a SMART goal: “Increase revenue by 15% through acquiring 10 new clients in Q1.” We also outlined concrete steps to get there. And guess what? By April, they had surpassed their goal.
Lesson: Specific, measurable goals are the ones that stick.
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How to Reflect on (and Refresh) Your Goals
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By reflecting together, you not only align as a team but also create buy-in for the year ahead.
P.S. What’s one goal you absolutely nailed this year—or one you’re determined to crush in 2024? Reply to this email or drop a comment. I’d love to hear your stories!
P.P.S. Need help setting SMART goals or creating accountability systems for your team? Let’s make 2024 the year you don’t just set goals—you hit them. Reach out, and we’ll get started.
Servant Leader serving as Sr Operations Regional Multi-Site Environmental Manager
2 个月The end of the year is a natural time for reflection, but it’s easy to get swept up in the busyness of deadlines and planning for the future. Taking a moment to revisit the goals from the past year—whether achieved, in progress, or deferred—offers valuable insights. Why Reflect? -Measure Progress: Acknowledge what you accomplished and how far you've come. -Learn from Missed Goals: Understand what got in the way—were they unrealistic, did priorities shift, or was the approach off? -Refocus for the Future: Use your reflections to set meaningful, achievable goals for the coming year. How to Reflect Effectively -Review and Celebrate: Write down the wins, big or small, and celebrate them. -Identify Patterns: Look for recurring challenges or habits that affected your outcomes. -Reassess Priorities: Decide if unfinished goals are still relevant or if they should evolve. Reflection doesn’t have to be a lengthy process, but it can transform goal-setting from a task into an intentional practice, helping you enter the new year with clarity and purpose.
Entrepreneur & Vacation Rental Owner - Offering an Oasis of Reconnection
2 个月Toby Goldstein buzzwords of the day!
Building Teams & Leaders ?? | Your Go-To Expert for Leadership & Employee Training and Questions | Empowering Over 50 National Companies | Ready to Elevate Your Team? ?? DM Me to Learn More!
2 个月Do you need a goal breakdown worksheet? comment yes and I will send you one!