Goals - "SMASH IT" on your journey from planning to execution

 

It’s February people! Wow, where is the time going?!

The holiday season is well and truly over. School is in session, deals are coming in hard and fast and the nostalgia of the new year is wearing off. New year resolutions are now being tested in the harsh light of reality and only those that have been set intentionally with clear action plans are standing the test of time.

 Because I want you to win and not end this year with regret, here are 7 tips to “SMASH IT” in 2020!

 

1.    Strategic Thinking & Planning

 He who fails to plan, plans to fail

You may think this goes without saying but you would be surprised how many people have not taken the time to articulate short or long term goals for themselves. Whether it is being clear about what grades you want to achieve, what job you want to secure, how much money you want to save/invest this year or the types of relationships you want to build, it is important to approach this strategically by starting with the end in mind.

 Doing this helps you to; (i) define the target and walk backwards; (ii) be more intentional with each step you take; (iii) map out and acknowledge what you need to do and more importantly, who you need to become to achieve that goal. Frankly, achieving anything is much more about strategy and intentional action and less about mental aptitude. 

 For example, one of the sessions of my student program is “Future CV” where I ask my mentee to envision the CV they want to have at the end of their studies i.e. the qualifications, experiences, capabilities, projects, languages etc, document that CV and create an action plan that intentionally helps them build THAT CV all through from present to future. By doing this, we jointly create a road map for their journey acknowledging that there would be bumps along the way but this would help them stay centred and focused.  

 

2.    Mindset

The man who thinks that he can and the man who thinks that he can’t, are both right

 You may have heard the saying “The man who thinks that he can and the man who thinks that he can’t, are both right”?

There are many limiting beliefs that hold us back and they only serve as opportunity stealers and growth killers.

All too frequently I encounter an individual who opted out of an opportunity because they had conditioned their mind to believe the mantra that “people like me don’t go to places like that”. And to that I say – “who told you so?”

I’m sure that either you or someone you know once decided against taking a course because “the statistics show that only [insert low %] of students pass on average”. Again to this I say –“who told you that you are not part of the [10, 20 or 30%] who can and will succeed?”

This is more than just platitudes though; there is scientific evidence on how we can in fact change the physical nature of our brain through our thinking and choosing”. (Read: Switch on your brain by Dr Caroline Leaf) 

Count yourself worthy to take up space in this world and do not cut yourself out of opportunities that you have told yourself you are not worthy of. Remember that you fail 100% of the times when you don’t try. The earlier you learn to take control of your thought life, the better.

 

3.    Accountability 

If You Want To Walk Fast, Walk Alone. If You Want To Walk Far, Walk Together

This African proverb speaks to the power of shared vision, partnership and accountability.

As you build your plans and align your mindset, life will still happen – money may become tight, the course or job may be what you expected it to be, a core relationship may ends, there may be an irrecoverable loss in your family and the list goes on and on. These events can completely shake up your life and throw you off course.

This is where having accountability partners could really help you keep your head in the game, make informed choices and facilitate a strategic shift or pivot rather than an abrupt one. 

You can be accountable to your family, friends, peers, mentors and coaches. Mentors and coaches are particularly powerful as they are typically outside our inner circle and so perhaps more objective. There are sure fire ways to “secure” a mentor but I would leave that for a future post.  

In this digital age, even the various online communities you are part of could serve as great accountability partners. Whenever I really want to do something, I intentionally sharing with LinkedIn, Instagram and my core friend circles. The fact that I don’t want to disappoint them tends to keep me pushing forward (however slowly).

 

4.    Skills building

You are either growing or dying

Morbid! I know but think about it and you would find that it is true that any previously living thing that is no longer growing has entered a state of regression or is already dead. 

On the path to achieving your goals, you have to upskill yourself. You don’t want to reach a milestone in 5 years’ time just to realise that you are physically present but mentally behind.

So, don’t shy away from challenging courses even if just to train your brain, take on volunteer work to learn new skills, take a committee role in a society to develop your leadership muscle, take online courses in creative arts to develop your creativity, cognitive function and co-ordination. Find freedom to learn for the sake of learning for life and not just for a qualification. 

 Also, avoid the inertia that comes with waiting till you have it all figured out. For example, take the internship not because it will be your permanent future career but because it would be a fun summer learning new things and meeting new people.

 

5.    Health

He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything

You, yes YOU! You come first so act like it.

Living a healthy balanced lifestyle is a major key to living a high performance lifestyle. If you want to achieve much, you have to give your body and mind the best chance of doing so by feeding and fuelling it with much needed nutrients via good food and supplementation, exercising it regularly and nourishing it with good sleep.

The benefits are endless – reduced risk of diabetes and heart diseases, energy and hormone balance, stronger immunity, weight regulation, brain cell regeneration, improved memory, creativity and mental sharpness, digestive efficiency, improved co-ordination and posture to mention a few.

Give your future self a chance at a long, pain free, healthy and high impact life by taking care of your current self today!

 

6.    Information and Inspiration

You can’t win the game if you don’t know the rules

I would give you two for the price of one here. The gist is - Stay Informed and Live Inspired. 

Get information as early as you can on what would it take to win that scholarship, secure that job, start that business etc and start putting your ducks in a row as early as possible. Attend industry events, brunch clubs, use google etc. Do not base big decisions in your life on word on the street. Do your own research. There is so much information out there that it would be a shame to miss out on it just because you were intellectually lazy.

Surround yourself with people who spark your mind and heart and fill you with vision of a life you hope for. Watch viSHEbility for God’s Sake (lol!). The point is, you can’t go to where your mind won’t venture so venture far and watch the world open to you.

7.    Timely action

POOR – Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly!

Now that you have done all these steps outlined above, don’t sleep on it.

As mentioned above, life continues happening and the wheels of opportunity are spinning so you better be ready to hop on when you have the chance. Always remember that doing the right thing at the wrong time is just as ineffective as doing the wrong thing at the right time.

Proactivity would get you far. Strike when the iron is hot.

 

 I am looking forward to hearing your SMASH IT success stories. 

For more tips like these;

 
Career TipsMary Mosope Adeyemi