The Koa Club Newsletter (January 2023) – Setting Goals to Maximize Your Success

Life Musings

Setting Goals to Maximize Your Success

With the start of a new year comes new beginnings, often in the form of resolutions. We vow to accomplish things in the new year, such as exercising more, drinking more water or eating better, with the hope that this is the year we shed those pesky five extra pounds.

As we welcome the fresh start that comes with a new year, it is important to remind ourselves why we’re ultimately making these resolutions and ask if instead of making broad resolutions, if we should really be setting realistic, achievable goals.

I know when I think about my resolutions in the past years, I recall declaring that I would eat more vegetables, exercise more often or have better self-care routine, but come March of that year, I would inevitably fall off the wagon, and would be feeling disappointed in myself for failing to keep up with my resolutions. Does that tune sound familiar to you? This year, let us all try something different and give ourselves goals, something more concrete and tangible. For me, I have registered to do a few key running races that have been on my bucket list for a while, so there is a clear path to the “why” for exercising more. I have also hired a running coach, so I can stay accountable to complete my goals.

This year, to maximize success in our personal lives and careers, let’s make sure that we set SMART goals:

Specific – Be clear and concrete, avoid vagueness to stay on track for success.

Measurable – Include numbers to measure your progress. If your goal is ‘to exercise more’ it might be hard to know when you’ve reached success. However, ‘to exercise 3 times a week’ gives you something trackable to celebrate.

Attainable – Is my goal actually possible for myself to achieve? If you set a goal to be an astronaut and your only training is having seen Apollo 13, you will be severely disappointed when you aren’t able to achieve your goal. Conversely, you don’t want to set goals that are too easily attainable either. Find the sweet spot of realistic yet challenging.

Relevant – It might seem a little obvious, but your goals should be relevant to the way you want YOUR life/career to go. Focus on yourself and you’ll stay motivated to be successful.

Time-Bound – Give yourself a deadline, even if you aren’t a deadline person. Deadlines give us a sense of urgency which is much needed when setting goals. They also allow us to celebrate victories of all sizes and once we’ve achieved our goals, we are able to move on to the next great thing life has to offer.

Setting SMART goals is a great way to set yourself up for success but it is important to remember that with the courage to try something new, we may sometimes encounter setbacks. But good news! Even if you’re feeling like you’re failing, or you do not achieve a specific goal right away, chances are you have made a great deal of progress and that is incredibly important too. Always remember that success looks different for everyone.

We want to hear from you on your SMART goals and how you are progressing through your goals.  If you are a member of The Koa Club, go to our Koa Network and share your goals and thoughts in the popular “Collaborate for Success Huddle” group in the Koa Network.  We are grateful to Lisa Smith, Life and Styling Coach and Founder of Shift Coaching Services, who helped to lead our Collaborate for Success Huddle discussion in January on this topic. She asked, “What sparks joy for you when considering your goals for 2023?” and “How will you feel when you accomplished your goals?” What great questions for us to consider as we build our goals for the year.

If you are not yet a member of The Koa Club, what are you waiting for? We aim to have members of The Koa Club act as accountability buddies for one another in our community – supporting, cheering and celebrating one another as we progress through our planned SMART goals for 2023 and beyond.

In the words of Atticus Poetry: “Go forth and conquer for the world is small and you are the giant and in every step you take will make the ground shake as it rises to meet you.”

Susan Seah
Founder & CEO
The Koa Club
Learn. Connect. Lead.