GOALS INCLUDE STOPPING THINGS AS WELL AS STARTING OTHERS

Have you completed your annual goals review for 2021 and goals for 2022? It is important to have strong goals for your critical business areas. But what about the things that you will stop doing?

First, you should see that things did not work. It might be marketing activities for example. You will want to eliminate the ones that did not produce desired results. Ok check those off.

Now let’s talk about something different.

If any of you have ever done an assessment with a coach or you have had a developmental assessment for you job you probably saw a section on the worksheet that is titled “I will stop doing…” Attitudes, behaviors, and activities can account for our success or failure. We should be measuring the results of our activities to see if they are moving in the direction of our goals.

Start by looking at your activities that have produced little or nothing and may have kept you from doing more productive things. It may be, for instance, your networking activities. I, for one, have resolved to stop going to networking groups that are not my target audience. What activities will you eliminate?

Now how about eliminating harmful behaviors and attitudes? This is not going to be easy. You may enjoy those behaviors but, of course, you remember that someone once told you there is no gain without pain. But who can be in pain all the time? Here is an approach to change your unproductive behaviors.

How about changing your bad habit by considering why you have that habit in the first place and what pleasure it gives you. Next substitute a new pleasure for breaking that habit. You really can’t change habits in a vacuum. You are going to be in a constant state of stress. You need a new pleasure or reward.

Let’s say you have a habit of coming into the office, getting coffee, chatting with others, reading emails and then you discover half the day is gone. That has become your MO and you are so comfortable with that. But now it is almost afternoon, and you are fretting about your scheduled appointments. Now substitute the pleasure of spending time talking with the pleasure of knowing that I have a full dance card every day this week. The energy and excitement of that full schedule is satisfying but what is even more satisfying is knowing you have enough activity to generate those additional sales. What will those additional sales do for your year and your lifestyle? Before long you have a new productive habit, and you are loving it.

In the next few days think about those habits you want to change. Write them down, their pleasure derived, and a new greater pleasure when you change. Now commit to doing it in 2022. Happy New Year!

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