THIS past week, we welcomed, not just a new year, but with the onset of 2020, a new decade. We ask ourselves now, where did all that time go?
It only seemed like yesterday when we lived in fear about Y2K—if anyone remembers. That, of course, did not happen, and technology thrives, with many of us sadly dependent on it 20 years after.
If you made your usual to-do list of goals and resolutions for the New Year, maybe it’s time to take pause and go beyond the usual practice. It’s time to look back, deeply reflect, and think 2020 and beyond.
In an Inc.com article, “11 Questions to Help You Set Meaningful Goals for the Next Decade,” Scott Mautz suggests that we set powerful goals for 2020 and beyond by asking ourselves this set of potent questions.
1 “What are the tempting parking spaces to avoid?” Life is dotted with many tempting parking spaces, which are “safe places to pull into and put it into park. For years,” says Mautz.
We can avoid parking too long by asking ourselves, “what are the patterns you keep getting caught in? What are the traps that could derail you from what you really want to accomplish?
Whether it’s staying in a bad relationship too long or sticking around in an industry that bores you, but pays well, “get out of neutral, put it in drive, and set your goals accordingly,” adds Mautz.
2 “How can I live a life true to myself and my values, and not the life others expect of me?” Bronnie Ware, a palliative nurse turned author says that this is the top regret of the dying.
Of course, we don’t want to live a life of regret by living someone else’s story. And there’s no better time to start living your life than today.
3 “How can I work on my life, not just in it?” “Routine gobbles our time, energy, and mind space, and are, well, just routine,” says Mautz. Instead of getting caught up in a mundane cycle of little things that leave no room for creativity and change, he instead suggests that we recommit ourselves “to the concept of challenge, embracing once again the thrill that comes from learning and growing, and moving toward the best version of yourself.”
4 “What’s the difference between a good and great next year or decade?” Remember the best-selling book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t by Jim Collins? Published in 2001, it has rocked—and served as an inspiration for—the corporate world as it describes how companies make the transition from good companies to great companies and how most companies fail to make the transition.
Mautz says we can work at making a good year/decade into a great year/decade by resetting the bar “on what you have to accomplish and happiness you create.”
His advice? “Ask yourself what a good year or decade looks like, and what a great one looks like. Set goals that move you toward the latter. And ask yourself, ‘If I knew I couldn’t fail, what would I try?’” Greatness, he says, often lies in the answer.
5 “What are my superpowers and how will I use them?” We all have our God-given talents, things we’re extra good at. Mautz says that we should “consider setting a goal that forces you to use these superpowers to accomplish something that matters.”
6 “What deeds need doing?” Your cause or purpose in life is at the root of this. Think about “what things simply must be done at work [or in life] that would gnaw at you, your cause, and your values if they weren’t accomplished?” Then, Mautz says, “a meaningful goal will arise.”
7 “What can only I lead?” Along with talents, we were given a unique set of skills. At the same time, our circumstances place us in a unique position to accomplish something of importance.
We live in a world where conformity is a comfort zone that shields us from bullying, unkind words and unfair judgments. Sadly, at a time where we are encouraged to celebrate our uniqueness, this still happens a lot.
It is, however, our unique skills and talents that will guide us to create things and ideas that the conformists will never be able to fathom. The New Year is the time to take a good look at our gifts, and base our goals on these.
8 “What part of me hasn’t shown up in life, yet?” “If there’s something about you you’ve been wanting to explore or put on display, goal-setting time is the time to put the wheels in motion,” says Mautz.
So, whether its visiting places on your bucket list, getting a new look, or learning something new, now is the best time.
9 “What have been my happiest moments?” Mautz says that “goal-setting should be about fulfillment, not just fulfilling obligations.”
With that, he urges us to reflect on what have been the happiest moments in our lives, and think about what kind of activities created that happiness.”
10 “Who will I have served?” We agree with Mautz that “true joy comes from knowing you have made a difference in other people’s life.” In our times, it’s easy to get too self-centered in everything, including setting goals.
Time is currency, and “when you look back one or 10 years later, who will you have served with your time and energy?” Make serving others a part of your goals.
11 “Will I have done what people say I was meant to do?” Remember the parable of the talents—those that used theirs wisely and those that were foolish in their decisions?
Again, this goes back to “leveraging your unique talents. What would others say you were meant to do? Will the goals you set help you use these skills to accomplish something that matters?”
As we look forward to a new year, a new decade, Mautz encourages us to ask these questions when setting our goals. Then set our goals with soul. Happy New Year!
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom- based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie F. Dizon, the senior vice president for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
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