Like many of you, at the beginning of the year I set some goals for my business, my career, and my personal life. Since we are almost halfway through 2021, I recently pulled out those goals to review them and to assess my progress. I thought I might share with you what I have learned from that reflection time.
The Goal
One of the goals that I set in my personal life for 2021 is that I wanted to be able to consistently shoot in the mid 80’s in my golf game by December 2021.
A goal is best when it is specific, measurable, achievable, and time bound.
Currently, I am frustrated by how realistic that goal might be! When I set the goal in January, it was totally within my grasp. Right now, in the middle of May, I am not so sure.
You see, I just played a round last night and I scored a 95. However, I was shooting consistently between 89 and 91 in January of this year. That is a 6 shot difference...in the wrong direction! As I was reflecting on this goal I had set, I not only became frustrated, but I was disappointed as well.
Who wants to set a goal, get intentional with it, invest time in developing it, then go backwards?
You might be feeling this way about some of the goals you set as well. Maybe you haven’t made much progress, or like me in my golf game, you have gone backwards a bit in your development.
Please do not get discouraged!
Oftentimes, how we know we are growing is that things get worse before they get better. If you hang in there and keep practicing, your goals are within your reach. I have this confidence that if you put your mind to it, you really can achieve what it is you desire.
Here are 5 things I learned as I reflected on NOT MEETING my goal (yet)...
My Development Reflection
Changed My Tools.
As I began my quest to become a better golfer, people kept telling me, “Scott, you need new equipment.” Mind you, the clubs I had were good enough. I had become comfortable with them and they were serving me well. But person after person, who I really respect when it comes to the game of golf, told me that my game would really improve if I upgraded my clubs. So I did it. In February 2021 my wife gifted me a Golf Club fitting for Valentine’s day. I was able to schedule my visit in March, and finally on May 1st my new clubs arrived!
Reflection Lesson:
What I have learned is that development takes time, yet time does not stand still for development. Yes, I needed to retool, but that took almost 5 months to happen! Month by month, my game did not improve because I did not plan far enough in advance.
How about you? Have you ever set a goal for yourself, then time goes by and the expectation you have for yourself doesn’t have enough grace in it to allow for this time lag? If I had the new clubs in January, where would I be now? Who knows? But the good news is that I have until December, so maybe a little bit of grace toward myself might be a good thing.Got Some Coaching.
I am not sure how improvement happens without a coach. Now, this coaching is not something you have to necessarily pay for, but I know in my golf game, I need new ideas, new things to practice, and accountability.
Reflection Lesson: Coaching is mandatory for growth.
How about you? When was the last time you were open to some feedback and trying new things in how you approach your development? The best thing my coach has done for me is kept me from going back to the things I should not have been doing.Did Not Practice Regularly Enough.
April was a very busy month for me. I had a very large new project at work added on to an already full schedule. I also had a goal that just did not get enough practice. No excuses. In the month of March and April, I simply did not prioritize golf. Again, I think I need to give myself some grace. I am not naturally a good golfer, so I need the practice time. I know if I do not practice, I will not improve. Period.
How about you? Do you ever get so busy that you just don’t have time to prioritize your development? It happens to all of us, but if we are not going to prioritize practice, what does that say about the expectations we have for ourselves? If something does not come naturally to you, practice is essential for development to occur.Practicing Extremes.
One thing I have noticed is that there is a big difference between my practice time and my game time. I had begun to take my practice sessions and extend them into my game time. Big mistake! Practice should be just that, a time to try new things. One thing I am working on is to increase my club head speed off my drives to make the ball go farther off the tee. I am practicing this extreme during my practice time. But, when I took it to my game time, it didn’t show the same results.
How about you? Have you ever taken practice into the game and it didn’t go well, so you gave up? Instead of giving up, why not just back off the extreme of practice a bit? No need to go full force all the time. Practice hard, then find your game rhythm.Failure As Learning.
I think one of the things I was reminded of most during my reflection is that I am not really failing in my goal. Sure, I have not yet hit my target. In fact, I am further away from it than when I started. But I have learned a lot along the way. I now have the right tools, the right coaching, and I’m practicing on a regular basis with the right mindset when it comes to learning and performance. I really feel like I am ready for a breakthrough. Who knows, maybe I’ll shatter my goal and be in the low 80’s?
How about you? How do you look at goals when you are not meeting them? How do you respond? Optimism is the skill of responding to setbacks, and is a valuable commodity when things are not going your way.
The year is only half over. Pull out those development goals! Dust them off. Review them honestly. Then, get moving toward the leader you want to be. It is never too late to give yourself some grace and begin your progress.
See you at the TOP!