Too Many Goals? How to Get Started!

Carolyn, a woman who attended one of our seminars, had a problem — she had so many goals she didn’t know where to start.  She felt good that she had lots of interests, but also felt like a bit of a slacker because she couldn’t get started.  Carolyn didn’t know it, but her problem was not unique. Prior to working with us, many of our coaching clients had difficulty prioritizing multiple goals. We developed a strategy to address competing priorities in our book, GOAL!  and helped Carolyn think through hers. 

On her list of goals, none of them were time sensitive and none of them were dependent on accomplishing other goals.  However, there was a subset of her goals that were mutually exclusive, so she did have to make a decision among those.  The other goals were not mutually exclusive and theoretically, she could have picked any one out of a hat and just started.  She hadn’t started on anything so far because she was unsure on how to proceed.

Carolyn’s goals were: Starting a business (mutually exclusive options), finishing her degree, writing a book and volunteering her time. 

Here’s how we helped Carolyn get going:

For Goals That Are Not Dependent on Other Goals  If there’s no sequence to your goals (i.e., none depend on the completion of other goals) then look at other factors. For example, is one an event driven goal?  Those goals are tied to some specific future date, like losing weight to attend a college reunion or planning for retirement.  If that’s the case then the date is going to drive when you should start these. If it’s not an event driven goal then you need to determine which goal is more advantageous versus the other. 

Figure Out Which Goal Has the Advantage – If there are goals that have a common objective, (“I’ve identified two businesses which I can start that will both net me $100k”), figure out which one of those has an advantage over the other.  Which one will require less time and energy? Which is less risky? Which one requires less capital? Or, which one will give you more joy? Figuring out the advantages will help you decide which one to go after.

If Both Goals Are Equal? If they are both equal in every aspect and you can’t figure out which one you should do, just arbitrarily pick one and start on that one. If they’re not mutually exclusive, when you reach one goal then start on the other. It’s important to take action because people will often end up doing nothing because they can’t decide between two good goals.

A Grid for Multiple Goals -  Again, if all your goals seem equal and you can’t figure out which one to start first, you may want to make a grid.  We can hear you analytical types saying “yes!”. Vertically down the page list the various goals you have in mind. These could be things like finishing up your college degree, writing a book and volunteering your time.  Across the top of the page, list horizontally the key factors in your decision process, like: time, financial investment, enjoyment doing, satisfaction on completion, ability to involve your spouse, etc. You choose the criteria.  Now you have created a grid. Give each of these a value from 1-10, 10 being the highest value to you (the shorter the time the higher the value, the lower the cost the higher the value). When you have filled in all the spaces on the grid, add the totals across for each goal and see which goal has the highest total.  This will lead you towards the top goal(s). This puts you in a better position to choose which goal to tackle first.

What If You Can’t Identify a Goal? We always tell people to start with what they like doing. Sometimes people will say they’re not sure.  If this is the case, start with what interests you and see if that leads you to something you like. For example, if you’re trying to select a career goal, start out with what you like doing or at least are interested in and figure out what careers would satisfy that. If you can’t figure it out on your own, hire a career coach and he or she can help you identify the careers that will leverage your strengths and be most fulfilling.  If your goal is to find a fun hobby then again, start with what you’re interest in. A lot of people are interested in photography. Take a course or spend time photographing things and see where that leads.  Someone we know had an interest in photography and noticed that all of her pictures tended to be of plants.  That led to a garden hobby.
Goals can be incredibly fulfilling and amazingly frustrating if you don’t know where to begin.  Lots of goals require lots of time, so get started now.  The sooner you start the more fulfilling your life will be.  Carolyn started business “A” and is volunteering her time on the weekends.  She’s never been busier and never been happier, “Once I got started, everything fell into place.”

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
GOAL!  Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

Canned or Not, Layoffs Affect Everyone

 Whew! The good news is that you just survived the most recent round of layoffs. The bad news is that your job just got bigger. Your title hasn’t changed and there’s no raise in sight, just more work for you to do, since there are fewer employees.

Here’s our Take Five on how to keep up with your workload when more is being piled on:

 

 

 

1. Keep Things in Perspective — You may have more work to do, but at least you’re still drawing a paycheck. If that doesn’t give you comfort, it should. It’s better than the alternative, being laid off and trying to find a job in a tough economy. Another plus to taking on new responsibilities is that it’s an opportunity to increase your skill set, which can make you more valuable internally and externally.
2. Set Your Boss’s Expectations — Just like David Letterman has his “Top 10″ list, you and your boss should agree on yours. Meet with your boss and let him/her know that you are going to do your best under the circumstances. Have in mind your list of top projects and the rationale for why they are important. Get agreement from your boss on which projects can be assigned a lower priority. It’s likely that your boss is under additional pressure as well, and your approach to your new workload will be one less thing for them to worry about.
3. Be More Efficient — There’s a saying “work expands to fill the time allotted.” There’s also a saying “If you want something done, get a busy person to do it.” Land somewhere between these extremes. This is a great time to look at your job with fresh eyes. What can you do more efficiently? Are there reports that can be shortened, combined or deleted all together? Examine every component of your job — don’t take anything for granted, as there is always an opportunity to streamline processes.
4. Use Outside Resources — It’s not unusual for companies in the aftermath of a layoff, to allow the use of contract/temporary workers to pick up the slack. Even a part-time extra pair of hands can help. Only by asking will you find out if your company is willing to go this route.
5. Be a Nicer Co-Worker — Cut backs affect all departments and it’s likely that many other employees are doing more with fewer resources. Recognizing that your co-workers may be feeling the same psychological pressures that you are, make the extra effort to be even nicer to them. The nicer you are, the more they’ll do for you. After all, you can’t say “The hole is on your side of the boat.” You all succeed or fail together.

It’s all in how you look at things. More work doesn’t have to mean more stress. Just take a one-day-at-a-time approach and do your best. The old axioms in business don’t hold true anymore. Like Yogi Berra said “The future ain’t what it used to be.” Look on this as an opportunity to shine in difficult times.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
www.whelanstone.com

Before You Procrastinate – Read This!

We all do it.  Put off those things we don’t want to do, but deep down inside know we should.  It’s easy to understand why we procrastinate, other things can be more fun.  But the price we pay is that we are never free from that inner voice that says “Hey, you better get that done!”.

 

Here’s our Take Five on how to stop procrastinating:

 

 

 

 

1. Keep Your Eyes On The Prize:  Sometimes you procrastinate because you just don’t want to do something. Assuming you have done a pros and cons list and decide this is something that needs to be done, the best way to get started and keep moving forward is to keep your reasons top of mind.  For example, let’s say you want to become a better presenter and there’s a series of workshops that you know would help.  You’ve been putting it off because you’re focusing on all the things that make it a chore:  you’ll have to drive out of your way; they’ll be work involved; you’d rather be watching CSI or doing something else that’s more fun.  Focus on the reasons why you thought you should do it in the first place.  Being a better presenter will give you more of the types of opportunities that are important to you.  By keeping that thought in your head, it will make it easier for you to move forward.   
2. Break It Into Bite-Sized Pieces:  Many people procrastinate because they see the project in its totality and believe it will take too long. A better approach to take is to break down your goal into manageable action items.  Paraphrasing David Allen in “Getting Things Done”, you can’t do a project, you can only do the next action.  By developing an action plan, it will keep you focused on what the next step is and make completing your project seem more doable.
3. Shoot For Good, Not Perfect: Sometimes we set the standards unreasonably high, which prevents us from even wanting to start. The pressure we put on ourselves can result in doing nothing.  Balance your desire for perfection with the need to get things done. Does it really have to be perfect to create value? 
4. Do It In spite Of Your Mood:  Don’t wait until you are “in the mood” to work on your project.  The mood may never come.  Sometimes working on it will help create the right energy and feed your desire to continue.  Even if you are not in the best mood, any effort you make on your project will still result in progress.  As long as you keep working on it, it will get done.
5. Overcome Distractions:  Let people know in advance that you are not available during the time you’re working on your project.  Turn off your cell phone, don’t answer emails and don’t go surfing on Youtube.  When you are doing something that you’ve been putting off, it’s especially easy to get distracted.  Remove all those distractions that will take you off point.           

 

You might have heard of the “termite revolution”.  Just like the biggest building that will topple as a result of termites eating away, so will any project no matter the size.  You know what it feels like to live with the burden of procrastination.  See for yourself how good it feels on the other side.  

 

Copyright 2008 Whelan Stone. All rights reserved.

 

Whelan Stone