We are FINALLY finally, thank baby Jesus, finally, in the last month, weeks, and days of 2020.
I found myself earlier this week thinking “okay, how much time do I actually have left in the year to close things out, and what can I actually accomplish in this time frame.”
I wanted to get ready to give that final push to get across the finish line.
At the end of the race, you typically do one of three things. 1.You either slow down because you are finally almost done and you’ve done great, coasting to the finish line, 2. you start to panic because you aren’t going to make your time and are fighting to scrape off those final seconds to just get by, or 3. you speed up to crush the new record.
This year, the shit-show of a year we have had, I personally am not coasting to the finish line or trying to crush a new goal. I am not necessarily in “panic mode” but am trying to figure out how can I make the most of the time I’ve got left. I can confidently say I am likely not alone in this thought process. Most people, companies, goal-setters, and dreamers have suffered this year. We did not have the year we anticipated or planned for, and many ideas, dreams, and goals crash and burned many months ago.
If you are in the same boat as me and are trying to get through that final push and get to the finish line in the best way you can, this week’s blog is for you. I am sharing with you, what I have done for myself, to get past the line feeling calm, accomplished, and like I did the best I could.
Step 1. Take this year into account when planning, and give yourself some grace. For the year of 2020, this is a really important place to start. This was not your “typical” year of business. This year was a dumpster fire. There is a big difference there. The stock market crashed, millions got sick, people lost their jobs, companies went out of business. A lot of major changes happened, some that will have a permanent impact. So when going into planning for that final push, remember that the goals you set for yourself in January likely shouldn’t be setting the bar for this next month. Give yourself some grace here. We aren’t striving for perfection, just progress.
Step 2. Set realistic expectations. Once we have taken this year into account and got over the fact that the goals we set in January aren’t happening, let’s set more realistic expectations for ourselves. What impact can we make with the time left that we got? These don’t have to be big audacious goals, just small little nudges forward, or maybe big steps that will just get you closer to the ultimate goal.
*This is an important time to remember that when we set goals for ourselves, at the end of the day, we are just trying to get to that end result. When we attach a timeline to it, it makes us feel defeated and like we failed even if we still ultimately get there over time. This year is the perfect example of “shit happens”. You can’t always control what’s happening around you or the timing of things in your life, but you can control how you react to it. So let go of those expectations and focus on the long-term goal without a strict timeline and you will feel so much better. *
Step 3. Put together a plan for the entire month. This part was super helpful for me because especially in December, I typically have a lot of plans or things to get done for the holiday season. When planning out “what can I get done”, I consider this because I don’t have a full 31 days in December, I have 18-20. By the time you read this 14.
Without stressing out about it, I simply look at the days I do have and then put together a plan of what I can realistically get done around that. It’s important to not be a hero and try to overstuff your days, that just leads to stress and unrealistic expectations. Remember we are going for small nudges or big pushes forward to just get us closer to our ultimate long term goals.
Step 4. Execute. Very very simple, follow through with the plan. Get yourself up a little earlier, work a little later, do what you need to do to stay focused during the day and not find yourself holiday shopping during calls, and execute on the plan. A plan is only good if it’s put into action, this is the time to walk our talk and go for that final push.
This year was a tough one, but it doesn’t have to mean it was a bad one. It doesn’t mean we can’t give it all we got and put it all behind us with our chin held high.
Even though our end results this year may not look like what we were expecting or wanting at the end of 2019, but give that final push and you will feel like you at least gave it a fighting chance. It’s all about the feeling of not giving up and not backing down. That feeling, that hope, and fire will carry through 2021 and will help you crush your goals.
You’ve got this, my friend.
