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We have just embarked on a whole new decade – a 10-year span that will effectuate change, spark new ideas and deliver professional successes and failures. The new year also affords an opportunity to start fresh for those of us who want to make some changes.
To commit to a change requires stepping outside of our comfort zone and exploring unchartered territory. While doing so can be a scary and unpredictable journey, it will prove worthwhile in the long run.
Recently, I was strategically planning with an intelligent New England area senior-level leader in the real estate industry. I asked him if he had any business resolutions for 2020. He shared with me that he was so busy over the past few years that he never got around to making the process improvement changes that he really wanted.
I explained to him that if he was truly committed to make meaningful changes in his business, he would need to be more focused in creating traction going forward. I went on to further explain that he needs to start by reprogramming his mindset and training his brain. It doesn’t happen by writing a laundry list of resolutions that will never come to fruition.
He is not alone. Many of us need to enhance our skills to create more impactful change.
The truth is that statistics aren’t in our favor when it comes to keeping resolutions; and there’s a far more intentional approach to looking at what’s ahead and shaping better outcomes. Are you ready to do something different? Here are seven steps to changing it up in 2020:
Identify What You Do and Don’t Want. It’s easy to articulate what you want more of in your life – more success, a better paying job, a stronger cashflow, great clients, etc. It’s harder to pinpoint what you don’t want. Take a sheet of paper and fold it down the middle. On the top of the left column, write “What I don’t want.” On the right side, write “What I will gain” from achieving the “don’t want” list. As you contemplate what you don’t want, are you truly committed to making this a priority? If so, what must change in order for you to achieve this? It might mean saying “no” to an engagement that may be financially appealing but drains your time and energy.
Set Your Goal. Be as specific as possible about what you want to accomplish, including a timeline for achieving it. It is helpful to include some type of measurement of success, so you will know how close or far away you are from attaining your goal at any point in the process.
Plan to Change. Change requires a commitment to achieve your goal. Once you have identified the change you are going to make, take the goals and timeline you have created and build the plan. Just be sure that your plan, timeline and expectations you set for yourself are realistic and achievable. Overcommitting leads to failure so make sure the plan can be adhered to even in your busiest times.
Phone a Friend. Confidence is a key to success and consistently believing that we can do something gives us a better chance of achieving those realities. But there are days when no matter how hard you try; you simply aren’t feeling it. This is where your personal support system – one or two people who can shift your perspective when you’re having a down day come into play. Once you have identified your support people, be sure to tell them how they can best help you succeed. Is it a phone call, a monthly check-in or a lunch that has a pre-identified agenda?
Don’t Get Discouraged. Making meaningful change takes time, energy and effort – it’s hard and often doesn’t work the way you expect it to. The commitment to change can be draining, frustrating and even discouraging at times. Allow yourself a few hiccups along the way. Rather than focus on what’s not working at any point in the process, keep the spotlight on what is going well according to your plan. There may be a few adjustments you need to make as this process takes hold.
Adjust When Needed. There will always be curveballs to field. When hit with the unexpected, don’t beat yourself up or demand perfection. Just because something may force you to alter your game plan, it doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve your goal – it might simply need an adjustment. Focus on doing the very best you can every day and feel good about that. Be patient with yourself. If your plan starts to veer off track, adjust the strategy to make the goal attainable based on the new set of circumstances.
Celebrate. Even the smallest victory deserves a celebration. Get in the habit of acknowledging and rewarding yourself for every step in the right direction. You’ll be surprised at how far you’ve come.
Nancy Capistran is a best-selling author, internationally certified executive coach, motivational speaker and principal of Capistran Leadership, LLC and Crisis Interception Inc.
