3 GOAL SETTING MISTAKES TO AVOID

It seems like it was just yesterday when I quit my corporate job so I could focus on running my business full time. I was on fire, so excited about all the many things I could achieve as I had all the time in the world. Well, I was certainly right about how much time I had, however boy  was I wrong about what I could achieve during this time! As many of us are in a season of goal setting, I would like to share .

Setting too many goals

It’s laughable now but for real, I wanted to do too much in every given moment. You see, I had an endless list of ideas and I wanted to implement each of them immediately. There was this one year in which I wanted to organise at least 10 events in addition to gain key clients, study French, etc. When I am in such a mode, I easily forget how much time and effort it takes to even organise one event. Not forgetting the emotional involvement that usually leaves me drained and unable to do anything else days after. Yet, this was my life; at the beginning of every season I would write a looong list of goals. I bet you know what usually happened eventually; many of them were barely scratched at the surface and never completed.

Now I know better

I set 3 to 4 key goals for the new year. Then I set quarterly milestones for each of them. So actually, I do 3-month chunks of these goals e.g. January – March 2021 have milestones to be achieved. These quarterly milestones are further broken down into monthly goals at the beginning of each month. To ensure that I really follow through and stay focused on my goals, at the beginning of each week I set targets for them as well. Finally, my daily activities are also centered around the targets for the week. Such that there are usually 3 key tiny tasks I need to accomplish by the end of each day. These tasks eventually feed into my weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly goals. The tiger time concept, which I learnt from Amy Porterfield helps me block time within each day to focus on these tasks and nothing else. In practise, it is not easy; however, its effectiveness is unbelievable.

Not keeping the goals in view

This particular mistake is one I have seen many corporates make as well. At the end of every year, they would pay consultants thousands of dollars to help them come up with a beautiful strategy. Then tuck it away nicely in a drawer and do whatever else mattered. But of course, I have made this several times myself as well. Ask: Ama, what is the point in setting goals you can’t see or remember?

Well thank God for His redemption. His instruction in Habakuk 2:2 is finally sinking in for me. So now I keep my goals in various places so I can remember them daily. I currently have 4 vision boards in various places. My goals are in my prayer book which is a book in which I journal. And finally they are in my daily prayers as well. Obviously, I cannot miss them. This is especially helpful when my mind drifts or an activity takes my attention off my goal. I am always able to find my way back to the main thing. These days, making the main thing the main thing, as they say, is a huge priority for me.

Having no accountability

My children have a YouTube gaming channel. A few hours ago, my daughter told me she’s been finding it difficult to post her videos. Although she has recorded and edited several. When I asked why, she said she simply isn’t motivated to post them. I know that feeling. So I offered to hold her accountable to post it. A few minutes ago (as I type this), she said to me ‘Mummy, I’m working on this video now. Please make sure I post it’ That is asking for accountability. It can be from a coach, mastermind group or a mother! The most important thing is that the person cares enough about you and your goals to see you progress.

In the past, I would set my goals and sometimes give up because after all they were my own goals. Not anymore. Now I have people within my circles who hold me accountable to my goals. Not only do they ask me questions about my goals, they also help me brainstorm ideas to make it happen. Honestly, there are days I am not motivated to work on my goals. And yet when I remember I have to report to my accountability partner/group, I get on with it in order not to embarrass myself.

So there, I have shared 3 goal setting mistakes to avoid. Which one spoke to you? What did I miss? It will be lovely to hear from you.

Ama xx

PS: Facebook Live For Beginners online course is available until 17th December, 2020. In this course, I help you with the skills, strategies and tools you need to confidently do your Facebook live video, even if you’ve never done one before. Sign up at fabhub.teachable.com or call +233 246 811 537

Photo Credit: Vera Obeng Photography