2 Tips to Set and Achieve Big Goals

There was a time when traditional TV ads had a huge impact on our culture.

Today outside of the annual Super Bowl spectacle, they have largely been displaced by the ad-free streaming world we live in.

However I grew up in an era where the right commercial with the right jingle would act like an "ear worm." With repeated high frequency, on the 3 TV channels we had access to, they became highly memorable. 

One of the particularly memorable ads I recall was from the mid 90's. It was run by Staples, a Canadian office and stationery store. It features a father and his two kids strolling through the aisles of a Staples store with the infamous music of Andy Williams “It's the most wonderful time of the year” playing in the background. The father is dancing and apparently overjoyed while the kids seem much less excited about the prospects of returning back to school.

The ad was so effective because it used an iconic Christmas song in a clever and comical way that spoke to every parent of school aged children who had felt overwhelmed after 10 weeks of kids being out of a routine.

My days of parenting school aged children are now long gone (and in many ways I miss them) however I still think the message of the song and the time of the year hold true. For me September is the most wonderful time of the year.

I love the changing color of the leaves, the smell of the harvest, the longer shadows, the cool crisp mornings followed by the warm afternoons. While I have enjoyed several weeks of flip flops and t-shirts, I now feel ready to move into my flannel and fleece.

The second and not so obvious reason why I love September is that it has become my opportunity for a fresh start. After the long dog days of summer, I have found it to be the perfect time to stop, reflect, reevaluate and then reset my intentions for the year ahead.

I believe it has given me an unfair advantage in pursuing my goals and dreams. Here is why:

For people who practice goal-setting (the average person does not), most of the work is done either at the end of December or the 1st week in January. I have found that taking the week between Christmas and New Years to try and set thoughtful goals, proves to be difficult. This is meant to be a time for creating memories with those who matter, making it difficult to find time in solitude to plan for the future.

When we are rushed to set new goals, they usually are not well thought out and this means that they will need to be recalibrated and readjusted. Interruptions to an intention create a feeling of frustration, slowing our momentum and subsequently eroding our confidence. 

An important part of building our confidence comes from not breaking the promises that we make to ourselves. As such it is critical that we first create goals that align with our beliefs and values. 

In my experience that can only happen when we give ourselves the necessary space and time to stop and reflect. Only then can we set thoughtful goals, followed by adopting the necessary behaviors that when done consistently will move us towards the desired outcomes.

The other factor to consider, as to why autumn is the best time for goal setting, is that by the time you are heading into Q4 you will pretty much know if you are on track to achieve your goals  before the end of the year. After 270 days, it will be clear whether you have done the work and thereby created the necessary momentum.

In my experience, doing my goal setting session at the end of Q3 has become helpful in "trying out" the new goals over the next 90 days. This assessment period gives me time to determine if they truly are the right goals. You can do any final "tweaks" and start ramping up the necessary habits and routines required. 

By the time January 1st rolls around instead of just starting the process, you will instead have built up a good head of steam going into the new year. 

If you choose to embrace this new practice, one note of caution: beware of setting too many goals. If you are reading this you are likely a leader in business and that typically means you are also an overachiever. You are likely trying to get too much done in too short a period of time. 

Remember, we want to build confidence and this means giving ourselves the best chance to keep the promises we make to ourselves. We overestimate what we can get done in 1 year and underestimate what we can get done in 5 years. Stop trying to boil the ocean and instead focus on heating just a few cauldron's at a time.

Jim Collins was famous for stating that if you have more than 3 priorities you have no priorities. Meaning that if we spread our attention across too many goals, we dilute the impact of our efforts and end up with mediocre outcomes. 

Where our attention goes, energy flows and you only have so much to give so pick your spots carefully.

With that in mind it is my recommendation that after you have set your goals, prioritize your vital 3. These in turn become the firm outcomes you are aspiring to in the year ahead. 

You can have other goals but make them flexible, meaning that hitting them is optional and you only give them time and attention after focusing on the vital 3.

If this idea resonates with you and if you are looking to make adjustments to be more effective in your goal-setting strategy, then I want to help.  Just reply to this message with BETTER GOAL SETTING and I will share with you an AMAZING tool that my coach and his wife have developed. It is called “Resolutions to Reality” and he has graciously offered it up for me to share with our Life to the Full readers.

Let the most wonderful time of the year begin!