A New Year, Resolutions and Goals

It's the time of year for reflection. To look back at the previous year and evaluate. To take stock of what you did or didn't do, how you behaved or managed relationships, of what you did or didn't do well, to consider what you want to keep in your life and what you want to shed. For some people, the outcome of that reflection is goal setting. For some, it's a time for making resolutions. For me, it's both. Let me explain.

For several years now, I have had the goal of launching Unbroken Leadership. I came up with the idea for Unbroken Leadership because I was actively developing my leadership skills while also working with a horse who had some behavioral issues. It was then that I discovered the common threads between effective leadership and horsemanship, but more about that another time. What I want to talk about now is a shift in my thinking. I still have the goal of making Unbroken Leadership a real thing. The difference is that this year, I have resolved to take steps to do something about it. And, if by the end of 2022 I have remained firm in my resolve to provide valuable leadership content, but I have not achieved my goal, it'll be time to put the idea to bed. So, why is this valuable content for you? Read on, my friend.

Why Resolutions so Often Fail.

So, you hear this all the time:

Q: What's your New Years' Resolution?

A: To lose 10 pounds. Find a new job. Have a happier marriage. Make more money. Be more profitable. Do more with less.

While all of these answers are laudable, they aren't resolutions. They are goals. And, if you've been in business for any length of time, you know these aren't even SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). So while these may be things you'd like to accomplish (launch a new business), they don't help you identify the things you need to do (or change) to achieve them. In some of these examples, goals are about outcomes and could be somewhat beyond your control. For example: Be more profitable. You might take all the right actions to become more profitable in your business (increasing employee satisfaction, improving productivity, managing expenses). But another round of COVID shut-downs would be out of your control and could cause you to fail to accomplish your goals.

Ride them or sell them.

I recently had breakfast with a friend who sold her horses last year. When I asked why she told me it was because of something I had said to her about horses; ride them or sell them. When I told her that, we were talking about overcoming fear. I had had a couple of bad accidents (horse with behavior issues mentioned above) and had become a very timid rider, which is problematic if you are a barrel racer. I was afraid, always riding defensively - if I rode at all. However, I had a very talented, if somewhat challenging, horse. I set goals. I worked on my skills. I became more confident riding other horses. But I still struggled to get beyond my fear of being tossed again. Finally, I was so uncomfortable residing between the fear of getting hurt and the love of riding that particular horse, I resolved to ride him or sell him. Thankfully, I remained firm in that resolve, and I still have that horse, Lyle, today. But what does any of that have to do with leadership?

GSOT and Resolutions

GSOT stands for Goals, Strategy, Objectives, and Tactics. As we've already discussed, goals are the big picture things you want to achieve. Strategy is how you plan to achieve those goals. Objectives are the specific, time-bound aspects of your goal that you'll measure. Tactics are the steps you'll take to meet your objectives. So when you are making resolutions, think in terms of tactics. For me, a meaningful resolution is something over which I have a great deal of control: my actions.

Resolve to Accomplish Your Goals

Here's my business example: In 2022, my goal is to bring Unbroken Leadership to life. My strategy for accomplishing that goal is to provide information about the connection between effective leadership and natural horsemanship. My objective is to attract 5,000 followers to Unbroken Leadership social channels by the end of June and schedule a paid clinic in August. To accomplish my objectives, I resolve to create and publish one blog post and one video each month, using weekly Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn posts to promote that content.

How will you answer the next time someone asks what your New Year's Resolution is?