5 Things: Issue 15
How do I feel good about setting goals? What is purpose leadership?
A Reflection
How is it already near the end of April?! Everyone says it, but it’s true—time flies. I love this time of year—the fresh smells, the buds starting to poke out on the trees, and my own sense of coming out of hibernation and getting out for runs and walks.
One thing that’s come up for me is the knowledge that I’m best motivated to be physically active when I have a financial commitment around an activity. To that end, I signed up for a 10k run later in May that I’m reminded on the daily to train for. It’s also helped to engage a friend in this goal to co-motivate each other.
I’m also finding that I’m reconnecting to my meditation practice more these days. This reconnection has felt like a warm hug. Sitting down, even for 3 minutes, sets the tone for my day and helps me feel more grounded.
As I spend more time in quiet mindfulness practice, I’m also getting excited to take part in the Foundations of Self-Actualization Coaching course by the Centre for Human Potential two weeks from now!
I’m looking for two coaching clients who would like to receive five complimentary coaching sessions each to help me hone my new skills.
Self-Actualization Coaching is a whole-person approach to coaching that aims to help the client find their most alive and creative center of being, connect deeply with themselves, and become who they truly want to become. (Centre for Human Potential)
The complimentary coaching will take place between June and July. If you’re interested in this opportunity, comment below or email me at sue@wavelengthstrategies.com
One Piece of Business Advice
Have you ever asked yourself, “How do I feel good about setting the right goals that will help my business grow?”
I’ve narrowed down ten mistakes people (including myself at times!) tend to make when trying to set goals:
You have goals but no specific plan on how to get there.
You define your goals and start to take action… but then the day-to-day gets in your way, and nothing gets accomplished.
There are so many goals, and you can’t decide which ones to prioritize, so you go into decision paralysis.
Your goals are too ambitious; you don’t know where to start. So you experience failure to launch.
The progress you made on the path to your goal is not measured or is done so inconsistently.
After a few months, you may not think you’re making progress, so you may get frustrated and give up instead of exploring another path.
Your goals are held too rigidly, even when circumstances change. No review is done to determine if they’re still achievable, and little is learned from the experience.
Your goals are not celebrated or noticed when they are achieved.
Your goals have no meaning because you didn’t choose them yourself, or you did so because you thought that’s what you “should” have done.
You don’t set any goals at all.
Well, an answer to these mistakes, my friends, is OKRs. Objectives and Key Results.
Not familiar with OKRs? It’s pretty simple:
“I will [objective] as measured by [key result].”
The objective is the goal you want to achieve, and the result is the metric by which you’ll measure your progress.
I use OKRs in my business and my personal life. Below, let me know what your biggest goal-setting challenges are!
One Mastery Tip
Earlier this week, I published an article on leadership trends to pay attention to in the future. It’s a great read - check it out!
One of the trends touches on the idea of purpose leadership. As a leader, being able to articulate and align how your team can contribute to a greater purpose beyond profit is more likely to resonate. Additionally, organizations are now being challenged to prove how they contribute to improving the world, be it through sustainability or social justice.
Two ways that you can embrace the idea of purpose leadership in your work are to:
Integrate your organization's mission, vision, and values into your communications.
Understand what drives your team members.
Question: In what ways are you working to connect your team to your company (or department) purpose in a way that resonates with them?
A Quote I Love
“Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious and you get to decide how you use them. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept.” — Anna Taylor
One Resource
Here’s a free guide full of example OKRs for various industries.