With Memorial Day coming this weekend, marking the unofficial start to summer, the fact that the year is almost halfway over is hard if not impossible to believe! Back in January, many chose to opt out of New Year’s resolutions, and for good reason. Burnt out by COVID protocols, constantly shifting restrictions and guidelines from local and national officials, it seemed overly optimistic to make plans for the rest of the year – much less setting any significant goals for lifestyle or career changes.
Fast forward to the present, and even if you are still overwhelmed by the ongoing impact of the global pandemic, rest assured that now is the absolute right time to take stock and reassess what makes you tick and where you want your life and career to take you.
This past month has been Mental Health Awareness month. Many people have struggled with increased stress levels resulting from the pandemic, and in some cases the consequences have been severe, especially for those who were already predisposed to mental health conditions. Now as we head into June and Pride Month, we can all take steps to feel better about ourselves and the world around us.
One thing we know at GSG is that taking control of what you can control and accepting what you do not have control over is a powerful approach to achieving wellness and success. Nature has been a great teacher in the past year, and as humanity has stepped back the natural world has had time to breathe, recover, collaborate and rebuild.
Now is the perfect time for YOU to do the same thing and set new goals to regain control!
Here are five easy ways for you to get started on your path to your future.
- SCHEDULE IT! Set aside some time where you can be free from distractions and interruptions and get to work brainstorming! Some prompts for getting your creative juices flowing:
- How are things going right now?
- What is working, and what needs to change?
- What are your priorities and values?
- Does your current life align with your values?
- What do you want to accomplish this year?
- In the next 5 years?
- Why?
- WRITE IT DOWN BY HAND! Scientific studies have proven that when you actually write things on paper with your own hand, the wrinkles in your brain that are formed are much more durable than when you write on a computer. And it gives you a good excuse to STEP AWAY FROM THE SCREEN!
- REFINE IT! Now that you have your brainstorm on paper, take a break to walk around the room, or better yet take a walk outside in nature to let that storm settle down so the seeds can bask in the light of reflection and turn into something you can EXECUTE.
- First, see if they are SMART (that is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and on a Timeline). Research shows that SMART goals are more effective and less likely to be abandoned than non-specific, measurable goals. Remember to look at your whole list, and each individual goal, selecting a maximum of three items. Of course, every idea you have for improvement or achievement is valid but being realistic is key to achieving your goals – No one has the bandwidth to do everything!
- Be honest with yourself! Better to set smaller, more manageable goals now and keep morale high as you achieve them one by one than set lofty, impossible goals that feel daunting or discouraging.
- Group your goals together by theme to keep your targets clear. Adding more physical activity to your day and getting a promotion are both great goals, but they each require very different effort and energy.
- FINALIZE YOUR LIST! Once satisfied with the refining phase, you can create your finished list. Having a record of your goals to reference helps with accountability and will help you keep your eyes on the prize. Find a way to visually represent your goals either in bullet form or some graphic form to keep in front of you so that you see it every day. Not to depress you, but to MOTIVATE you!
- CHECK IN ON YOURSELF! Decide on a frequency that works for you, set a calendar reminder to check in on your goals consistently and STICK TO IT! This will help you stay on track, and you will be able to course correct quickly if anything starts to slip. Most importantly – CELEBRATE YOUR WINS NO MATTTER HOW BIG OR SMALL!
We have plenty of time to achieve great things this year and YOU have a big part in the total progress of the entire community. Your positivity, creativity, and progress will infect those around you and the cumulative impact YOU can have on the world around you is immeasurable.
Granite Solutions Groupe has been providing people and solutions that deliver for our clients since 1998. Our consultants are diverse, experienced, driven and dynamic contributors who excel at getting things done. To find out more about how we can give your team the support you need, reach out to engage@granitesolutionsgroupe.com.