Does your 2010 goal list look like a repeat of 2009’s?
Does your 2010 goal list look like a repeat of 2009’s ?
It’s that time of year again. A fresh start. A new beginning. The time when we reassess our goals and review what we want to achieve this year. But… and you know it’s coming… you’re also reminded of everything you didn’t achieve for your business the year before. If your 2009 and 2010 goal lists are more than 75% the same…
There’s a problem and it’s called
Resolution Déjà vu.
According to Wikipedia “Déjà vu is a French phrase meaning “already seen”, and it refers to the experience of feeling sure that one has witnessed or experienced a new situation previously.” Resolution Déjà vu has happened to me several times over the last decade. Each time I realized my business goals didn’t change much from the previous year I felt like crap. This is because I was forced to once again accept this painful reality: Despite all the work I felt I put in to my business, at the end of the year I didn’t achieve that much.
So what do you do? I’d like to say it’s as simple as saying “goal lists are a waste of time”, but we both know that’s not true. Recording your goals are a key tool for measuring your success. They also help you analyse what when wrong, so you can get back on track.
Here are few key questions to ask yourself if
you are experiencing Resolution Déjà vu:
How long were your lists?
(hmmm as long as Santa’s)
Maybe you need to take a few things off.
Were you realistic?
(I don’t need more than 2 hrs sleep right?)
If you already have full plate and trying to start-up your business full time, something’s gotta give. There ’s only so much time in the day.
Were there legitimate reasons why you didn’t achieve your goals?
(I find it hard to focus when I am stressed.)
This past year has been a tough one. There’s enough stress to go around- depression, money, and relationship issues take huge a toll on productivity.
Have you lost your motivation or has your passion changed?
(I remember when I realized I just wasn’t that into “it” anymore.)
It happens. Sometimes we fall out of love of with a business idea and that’s okay.
Have your bad habits been robbing you of the future you could have?
(I’ll write that sales letter after I …)
Let’s not beat around the bush here..this is more often then not the leading culprit of Resolution Déjà vu.
Are you afraid you’re not “good enough” to start?
(I think I NEED to read this book before I start)
Fear is also another major reason why we procrastinate. We are so good at finding reasons why we can’t when we are scared to do.
There could be countless of other reasons why you didn’t achieve your goals, but take the time to identify the symptoms (BTW there are usually more than one) in order to fix problem(s). Once you’ve done that I am going to suggest something that may seem almost radical, yet it’s something that you already know deep down.
Fix the REAL problems before you spend all of your energy striving for your goals.
You can’t keep adding water to a bucket with a hole in it right? The water is just going to leak out. All that effort (in thought and action)that you put into trying to achieve your goals will be wasted once again if you don’t plug up the hole. When I finally started to address the barriers between me and my goals (primarily self-imposed) I noticed that my goals started to become more attainable. Although I can’t say I am completely out of the woods, I know I am on the right path because I have addressed the problems in my way. Whether you make New Year’s resolutions or not, I encourage you to take a long hard look at your past and current goals. If nothing has changed there’s a problem that needs to be fixed.
Once you get the problems out of the way, you’ll be a lot closer to the success you haven’t seen or experienced before.
So what do you think? I’d love to hear about your experience with Resolution Déjà vu and what you are doing or have done to fix it!
