Moving Beyond Goals for 2021
Happy New Year! WAIT…March 2021 is near, and it no longer feels like a new year.
We were so excited, relieved and happy to leave 2020 behind us but the reality is, nothing really changed at 12:00am on January 1st, 2021. We’re still amid a pandemic and everything that comes with it.
You might be feeling that setting goals and planning for 2021 is nearly impossible because of all the things outside of your control. In some ways, this is true. It’s hard to plan holidays, big events to celebrate milestones, family trips, etc. Yet, no matter what happens in the world and the circumstances around you; you’re still here, you’re still you and, dare we say, you deserve to spend time casting a vision for who you want to be, personally and professionally, in 2021.
“A goal isn’t about what you accomplish. It’s about what you become.” Michael Hyatt
In the book Atomic Habits, James Clear discusses how habits make our lives and identities. Clear has an inspiring story, and the challenges he overcame might resonate with many at this point in our history. In the context of overcoming one the biggest challenges he ever faced, he discovered how tiny habits can either help or hinder us in achieving the vision we have for ourselves. The book discusses four laws of behaviour change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy and make it satisfying, and how they connect to our identities.
So, what does this all mean for you and the goals you might have set (or not set) for 2021? Great question! It means that the vision and goals you set for 2021 will only come to reality, come to fruition, if they are reflected on your daily habits and routines. Because, when compounded, tiny habits and small changes can create atomic results.
Shall we use an example to illustrate this? Let’s say you set a goal of reading more leadership books in 2021. If this is the case, your vision would be “I’m a reader of leadership books” OR “I’m someone who is always reading and learning about leadership.” From there you would move to what Clear calls “implementation intentions.” You would look at your current habits in order to make the new reading habit (of leadership books) obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying. [If you want to know more about how Clear explains the four laws behaviour change, pick up a copy of Atomic Habits at your local library or wherever books are sold in your area. It’s a great one (and can certainly help you become a better leader too)!]
We’re coming to you, Emerging Health Leader, in March 2021 to encourage you to spend some time thinking about who you want to be or become this year. This is timely as we’re accepting mentee applications for our EHL Mentorship Program. Check it out here.
A mentor-mentee relationship can help you to to find (and fine-tune) habits that have worked for you or are already working for you, and build upon them. A mentor can be a sounding board as you set goals for 2021 and beyond…whether your goal is to better manage your schedule, to become a more prolific speaker, to be a better leader of people.
Any goal needs to be accompanied by systems that support you to become the person you want to be, and a relationship with a trusted mentor can give you an invaluable opportunity to create your own systems.
As James Clear says, “Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.”
We hope you find ways in your life and context to establish systems that inspire you daily to be the person and professional you aspire to be. If you believe mentoring and community is what you need, it’s the perfect time to sign up to the EHL Mentorship Program!