Making It Happen In 2024

Setting Yourself Up for Success in 2024

Inspiring, challenging, and compelling goals will guide you to your vision and provide the motivation and energy to sustain the effort when faced with obstacles and setbacks. This includes knowing why you want to achieve the goal. If the “why” is strong enough, you’ll have the grit, fortitude, self-discipline, and perseverance to follow through until success is achieved, no matter the cost.

You must put your goals in writing. Written goals provide focus and force you to crystallize your thinking. Clarity is essential. Without clarity, it is almost impossible to focus.

Handwrite your goals! Neuroscientists suggest that putting pen to paper (rather than making notes on your smartphone, tablet, or computer) helps to embed the goals in your subconscious. Of course, once the goals are handwritten, you can transfer them to your computer, iPad, or smartphone.

Goals can be end-states or a specific process (e.g., living a healthy lifestyle, which may have several process goals—healthy diet, going to the gym, walking, etc.).

As you identify proposed goals, continually ask if this goal or these goals will result in achieving what you really want.

Is the goal motivating and inspiring you to give it your all?

Is this goal worthy enough to pursue if you knew there was no way you would fail?

Is this goal one you are willing to sacrifice other things to accomplish?

Responses to these questions will help your goal development process. Some impediments include more resources (time, energy, funding), temptations, distractions, and unexpected challenges and barriers. For each goal, develop contingency plans for potential obstacles to prepare yourself to recognize and take action to avoid setbacks and loss of motivation.

Caution Regarding Long-Term Goals. Remember how easy it will be to succumb to immediate and near-term temptations and distractions. Establish immediate, short-term, and intermediate goals, steps, and actions that begin the journey and provide milestones and intermediate success opportunities that help sustain motivation to reach your desired process or outcome(s).

SMART Goals

The most popular example of goal-setting criteria is SMART goals. SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound—to which I have added the following terms: motivational, actionable, accountable, aligned, and timely.

S Specific. Does it provide the details of what you are going to do?

M Measurable and motivational (emotional and energized). How will you know if you have achieved your goal? Is your goal inspirational? Does it push you out of your comfort zone?

A Attainable, actionable, accountable, and aligned (consistent). Can you describe what actions need to be taken? Do I have sufficient resources to achieve this goal? Your goals must align with your values, vision, purpose, and other goals.

R Realistic. Is it doable?

T Timely and time-bound. Without time limits, you will leave the actions when you feel like doing them—there’s no sense of urgency.

Setting Your Goals

Example—You currently weigh 150 pounds and want to lose 20 pounds. Some ideas are: “By June, I will weigh 130 pounds and look fit and trim in my clothes.” “I feel fit and healthy, with energy. Intermediate goals and action steps to achieve the desired outcome could be, “On 15 March, I will weigh 144 pounds by 1) walking 10 miles each week, 2) eating 30 percent more of my calories in raw vegetables or fruit, and 3) increasing my upper body curl weight to 100 pounds by upper body workouts on Tuesdays and Saturdays.” “By 19 April, I will weigh 139 pounds by 1) setting up an appointment to meet with a trainer for exercise and eating guidance and will establish a set timeframe to provide her with my status, 2) arriving at work at 6:30 each morning and on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and jog a minimum of four miles each morning, 3) on Tuesday and Thursday I will exercise for one hour on exercise equipment and lifting weights, and 4) I will lose at least one pound a week and will eat healthy foods for lunch.”

Once you articulate your goals, evaluate them against the SMART criteria. If the goals meet the criteria (as you judge it), you have a good goal, and it’s time to act.

Tell Me What You Think

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Suppose you desire to be an effective leader, especially if you want to climb your organization’s leadership ladder. Dr. Browning’s recently published book, Embracing Senior Leadership , will help you master three critical factors necessary for success at any organizational level, but especially at the senior level. The Air War College selected his book as its primary leadership book for 2024.