As 2016 came to a close and I flipped the page to 2017, I reflected on my goals and dreams of 2016 to summarize the year.
It’s always a fun exercise to filter 12 months of sweat and labor down a few pages of one liners, but it’s also fruitful.
I noticed (as I do every year it seems) that I start out with a lot of gusto and have yearly goals written out, and have the first month broken out to weekly and daily tasks. I manage to keep the effort going, but the momentum slows by the end of the 2nd quarter (about June). In 2016, I barely had anything written down in October or November. Then I sputtered to life a little in regard to writing weekly goals, a little bit in December.
There are several resources on the Internet for how to review your prior year, and each year I like to seek out some new ways to answer the same questions.
This year, the question that struck a chord with me the most was “What were the things you wanted to do but didn’t?”
I found a similar question: “What goals did you blow off or fail to achieve?”
And what set me on a course of thought for a good stretch of time was the follow-up question: “Why?”
It’s one thing to take note of what you goals you missed, but it’s entirely different to pause and seriously consider “why” you missed those goals.
So many excuses can come to mind – life got busy, the kids, the laundry, night school, the weather, illness, not enough work, too much work, and so on.
But to make strides, you have to acknowledge the excuses for what they are – excuses, not reasons. Looking into each goal/plan I missed, I realized that the reason I didn’t achieve them is because I chose to not put in the effort. I failed to achieve because I chose not to plan, not to strive, and not to push myself forward.
I missed my fitness goals because I chose to not:
- show up to races I’d paid for
- get off the couch and get out for a walk
- watch the portion sizes of the meals I ate
I missed some business goals because I didn’t put in the time and attention the tasks needed. It’s a harsh realization, but I can work with the truth.
In 2017, I already have new accountability and am working with a couple of mentors to build up a couple of areas of my business. I’m revising and rebooting some goals, letting others go.
Have you reviewed your 2016 goals versus accomplishments? If you missed any of your targets – do you know why you missed?
I’m wishing all of us a prosperous, productive, happy, and healthy 2017.
Lisa J. Jackson is an independent writer and editor who enjoys working with businesses of all sizes. She loves researching topics, interviewing experts, and helping companies tell their stories. You can connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.