Goal Resiliency
There’s a lot of excitement when you clarify your goals, create a strategy to achieve them, and decide on the steps you will take and when. But when you hit a road bump, that excitement can turn into disappointment. This is where goal resiliency comes in.
As you might imagine, I have a lot of conversations about goals, both with my clients and with my peers. Recently I heard someone refer to the concept of Goal Resilience, and this phrase resonated with me.
My accountability partner can tell you (but she won’t if she knows what’s good for her) that even I can miss a target on occasion. I talk to people all the time about how challenging reaching goals can be, and a common reaction people have when they don't hit a goal or they get off track from their goal is to feel bad.
What they don’t realize is that missing a goal provides valuable information about the process. It actually shows that you’re not playing it safe. Instead, you are setting goals that are a realistic stretch for you. And every now and again that stretch will be a little too far. So if you’re achieving all the goals without breaking a sweat, you’re not setting the bar high enough.
That said, missing the bar can still leave you feeling defeated. Our initial reaction might be to push ourselves harder. But overworking ourselves may be how we fell short in the first place. Take it for what it could be - a sign that you need time to replenish and recharge.
Falling short is also an opportunity to see if you’re setting yourself up for either success or struggle. It’s beneficial to reflect on what happened and learn from your mistakes.
This is why black boards and white boards come with erasers - because sometimes wiping the slate clean and starting fresh is the best option.
How to build goal resilience
Here are some ideas on how to learn from these experiences and to build goal resilience:
Be Prepared
It’s important when setting goals to think ahead and consider what obstacles you might face, and how you can plan to deal with them.
Throw a Brief Pity Party
It’s okay to wallow just a bit but you don’t want to spend too much time in the downward spiral. You have to be quick to give yourself grace and move on. Regain your mindset and your energy.
Refocus on Accountability
You started out with a strategy, the tracks to success have already been laid. You just have to step back on where you left off.
Assess the Cause
Sometimes the reasons are out of your control - You had a sick kid, you lost power for a week, whatever. But often there IS something to admit you could have done differently. Maybe you weren’t realistic about scheduling the time you needed, or you didn’t honor the boundaries you set and you lost sight of the goal.
Show gratitude
Even though you took a detour, you still experienced something. Remember that, although you didn’t achieve what you set out to, you still learned some other valuable stuff in the process.
Reconnect with Your Why
When we are head down, in the groove and working away, we can forget the big picture. Remind yourself of why you’re working so hard in the first place.
Goals and a realistic plan to reach them are necessary if we want to build our businesses, but what we are really working towards is the result and the outcome these goals will lead us to, and the person you’re moving towards becoming.
So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back to it. If you’d like some support on setting goals, staying focused and bouncing back, my Path of Action accountability group can help. Schedule a call here.
P.S. Ready to stop spinning in place and get to the other side of your goals? Here are several ways I can help:
Download my free weekly planning guide - it will help you become more intentional with your time, develop a clear action plan for your week, and ensure that you are focusing on activities that will move your business forward - Download Now
Join our next CEO Power Planning Session and spend two and a half hours ON your business. During this facilitated workshop, you’ll set and prioritize your next 12-week goals, break them down into an executable action plan and create a resource plan - Join the Wait List
Apply for the next Close the Gap Program and stay on track to achieve your most important goals. 1:1 support and guidance on prioritizing goals, creating a plan and putting structure and routines in place. Then 12 weeks of group support around execution - Apply today