This time last year I wrote about how I shifted my goal-setting technique from putting a sticky note on the wall and hoping my goal materialized to something slightly more effective.
You can read that previous blog post here, but to recap, I transformed how I approach goal setting after reading Michael Hyatt’s book “Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals.”
That book truly revolutionized the way I set, track and stick to my goals. I really resonated with the simple system Hyatt outlines in the book. I also had the freedom to adapt the system to work for me.
OK, so I’m more than a year and a half into using the Your Best Year Ever system (YBYE for short) — and wanted to give you an update. I know how easy it is to read about a new system, concept or workflow and get all excited. You try it for a couple weeks, but it doesn’t stick.
I’m happy to report this one stuck!
I’m going strong with this system and have modified it heavily to suit my style. In fact, it’s completely changed how I run my work and my life. I know, I know. You’re thinking, “Seriously, Andrew? A goal-setting and tracking system changed your life?”
Believe it. The game-changer has been the weekly goal review meeting. I do this every Monday morning. I put a one-hour appointment on my calendar and don’t let meetings, clients or anything else interrupt this time. To be honest, I never feel like having this weekly meeting. It’s work. But I do it, and I’m always glad I did.
Let me give you a glimpse into the agenda and flow for this meeting:
Journaling: I start by writing a brief journal entry with updates and any random thoughts or ideas that are clouding my focus. I also read my last two journal entries.
KPI Tracker: I fill out my KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) spreadsheet. You can set up the categories to fit your specific business and goals. Mine include the number of hours I worked that previous week and how much of that was on client (billable) projects. I also track how many new prospects I had, how much I billed in invoices and how many non-billable projects I have on my task list. I tend to take on a lot of personal projects so I need to make sure I’m balancing those with work that actually pays the bills! And, I have a category for wellness where I review my workouts and health goals.
Wins & Losses: I write down my weekly wins and losses and see where I need to make adjustments. It’s really easy to get caught up in a new week and never pause to assess what worked and what didn’t in the previous week.
Goal Review: It’s so common to set goals at the beginning of the year or quarter. But then what? Do you review your goals regularly or are they simply forgotten in a notebook on your desk? This is a critical step in having your best year ever. Each week I review my goals. I usually have two to four open at one time. Some are designed to help me establish habits and others are one-time achievements, such as finishing my second children’s book. Sometimes I get to check off a goal as complete. Sometimes I don’t achieve them and have to record the loss. And when my plate is looking empty, I’ll come up with new goals to keep the momentum going. Keeping track of my long-term objectives on a weekly basis is the real engine in the YBYE system.
Schedule Weeklies: Once I’ve reviewed my goals. I create “weeklies.” These are the three main things I wanted to accomplish this week. Typically, they are related to my goals and how I can move them along.
Wrap Up: My last step is to schedule those three weeklies on my calendar. Then I review my journal entry and make note of how long my goal review meeting took (usually an hour).
It’s not always easy to keep this appointment with myself. But now that I’ve been doing it for several months, I see how critical it is to keeping me on track and propelling my work forward.
Whether you follow the complete Your Best Year Ever system or not, try adding a weekly goal review meeting to your calendar. I guarantee you’ll find it beneficial. In fact, it just might revolutionize the way you work and live. Let me know how it goes!
Have a great week,
