Resetting Goals for a Year That Has Changed Dramatically

Just over three months ago we all worked diligently on crafting goals for the new year, or at least the first quarter of the year. Suddenly, even before the first thirteen weeks of the year were behind us, we all found ourselves in completely unfamiliar territory. The need to revaluate our goals was quickly becoming apparent. As things have rapidly changed since mid-March, it is even more clear that 2020 will be unlike any other year we have seen in our lifetime.

While this situation is not comparable to any other, it does illustrate the need for flexibility and reinforces the need for regular review sessions. It also builds a case for establishing shorter-term goals in the first place. The pace of change forces us to look at time differently, especially related to goals. Quarters may be more like a year, a month more like a quarter, and a week more like a month when compared to how we looked at things just a few weeks ago.

While I hope we never experience anything like this again, there are always things that come up that can easily derail well-intentioned goals set at the start of the year. So how do we deal with circumstances that are forcing us to look at the goals we set and begin anew?

Here are four steps you can take to adjust your goals for the reality we are currently facing.

Review

The first step, as you might imagine, is to review the goals you have set for yourself. It does not matter what time frame you originally set for yourself, the world has changed and we must pause to take stock in what we set out to achieve. Reviewing on a regular basis (daily or weekly) is already a preferred practice, but right now is a critical time to walk through each of your goals to understand what was it you intended to accomplish. A key component of this review is understanding why you established this goal in the first place. This will become more important as you progress in resetting any goals for the near-term.

Assess

As you are reviewing your goals, you must determine now whether the goal still makes sense. It is possible numerous things have changed for your situation where the goals are simply not achievable anymore. You don’t have to throw every goal out, but understanding what is and isn’t possible anymore is important before moving on to the next step.

Redefine

Many goals may need minor adjustments based on the circumstances. Perhaps you established a goal to go to the gym three days each week for thirty minutes. Going to the gym is not currently possible. As you review your goal and reacquaint yourself with why this was an important goal, you can now redefine it. If you were going to the gym to do cardio work, reset that goal to achieve the same thing within your new circumstances. That may mean going for a run outside three days each week for thirty minutes. If your goal was more strength training, perhaps you could purchase a set of weights that will work for you.

Understanding why you wanted to achieve the goal allows you to identify the alternatives that are available to still achieve the same thing.

Where you may have set work-related goals, you may need to redefine those completely for the situation we are all now facing. This will be especially true if you set metric-based goals. The landscape of retail and almost every other business has changed in the last several weeks. With so much uncertainly around timing and the economic impact, you may choose to forego reestablishing metric-based goals. Instead, take a look at behavior-based goals and how you can measure those in a changing environment. Using shorter time frames also may make more sense right now. Collectively, none of us know what the situation will look like in the coming weeks and months. Setting goals that you know you can work towards in short bursts may prove both productive and encouraging as you will be able to see progress and success in the face of so much challenging news around us.

Engage

After reviewing, assessing and redefining your goals, there is only one thing left - engage with them. Let the past be the past. The old goals can sit to the side or be discarded forever. Times have changed and now you are working in the new timeline. The short-term goals may seem lesser in breadth initially, but give yourself a break. We all need to when we are working in unprecedented times. Concentrate on the things you can control; if you have established your goals to fit the present day, you should be able to fully engage and see them through to success. And if and when things change again, this is a fully repeatable process.

Rare times require extraordinary measures. That can apply to goal setting as well. That is why taking time to Review Assess Redefine and Engage with your goals can help move you forward and position you better for success in the coming weeks of ongoing change and unpredictability. We can still ensure our goals will work for us and not become a force that creates additional obstacles or failure points when we all need to be finding positive and encouraging energy. We do not need to trap ourselves into using old methods or thought processes to set goals in what is clearly a different environment. Break out and ensure you have goals that work best for you, now.

How will you reset your goals to ensure you can begin achieving what matters to you during changing times?

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