Author Archives: Robert Bannon

WE’VE GOT THIS

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I always end up where I plan to go. As most readers of this corner know, I am a male and consequently, the whole idea of asking for directions is entirely unnecessary. Going around in circles from time to time is just me getting to know the “lay of the land.” I often like to get to know the neighborhood a little better. The idea of actually stopping and asking for help – are you kidding me???? I don’t know why anyone would want to do that. So, I am exactly where I had planned to be. Some of that planning didn’t start until 30 seconds ago; most of it didn’t exist a year ago.

A few thoughts pop into my mind as we end 2020 and consider what 2021 will bring: we’ve got this. We handled the challenges that we were presented with and actually thrived. After all – here we are – no road map, no plan to survive a pandemic, making the best of limited social interactions. We’ve got this! We have proven to ourselves that we can survive and we are willing to persevere and move forward. Let’s stop focusing on all the things we consider negative about the past year and congratulate ourselves – we have made it and we can make 2021 a fabulous year because we are stronger than we could ever have imagined. We have been honed in the fires of 2020 – nothing can stop us now. So, OK world, bring it on, but maybe this year I will look at creating some goals and plans for that next move forward, understanding that I can change direction along the way if I need to. After all, like you, I had to change direction a few times in the last 12 months.

There are a few people in this world who can succeed without any goals or plans. They are either lucky or made some kind of otherworldly deal. For the rest of us, having a plan is probably the only way to succeed in what we want.

It makes no sense to persevere if you choose the wrong plan or decide on no plan at all. By setting goals, you can strive to complete them, which often requires perseverance. This doesn’t mean that all the goals or tasks will be correct. But, you can find alternatives when needed. At least when you have a plan, you have a reason to pursue them.

There are many ways to set goals, but one of the more acceptable ways is to start with high-level goals. Then, for each of those high-level goals, define the tasks that it would take to accomplish those goals. Set milestones so that you can measure how you are doing at each step. It’s okay to make adjustments along the way, even to the high-level goals. But, the key is to use this as a roadmap to keep going. That is the best way to get to where you want to go. Perseverance will play a big role here.

If you give up at any point, don’t beat yourself up too much. Either start over or if possible, pick up where you left off. When you finally accomplish your goals and milestones, the success you feel will come from knowing it required perseverance to accomplish. The kind of perseverance that we have grown to understand and undertake in 2020.

Sometimes, people don’t get back to their goals. Either they gave up too quickly, or they weren’t meant to make them happen. If this happens to you, find out what you really want from those goals and if they are right for you. It is okay if they aren’t, but just make sure that you didn’t give up because it was easier to do that. You don’t want to live with regrets.

If you find that you are constantly giving up on your goals, you may want to get some professional help. This can either be in the form of coaching or in extreme cases, you may want to seek the advice of a counselor. Sometimes this can make the difference in breaking the barrier of quitting before meeting your goals. A mentor or counselor can give you the necessary guidance and may even be able to help you define better goals. It could be you just weren’t following the right plan.

So, don’t tell my wife this, but maybe she is right. I could always stop at the gas station and ask someone to tell me how to get there. Or, I could use the car’s GPS but that would require opening and reading the owner’s manual. There’s always some catch isn’t there? The real catch is that we can use 2020 to power the rest of our life because we’ve got this!

GOAL SETTING MADE EASY

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Alright, put up your hands, how many of you set a goal for 2020 of surviving a pandemic? That’s what I thought. OK, how many have this as a goal for 2021? Let’s hope that “goal” means more than just managing to stay physically alive. We have had one of the most challenging years that any of us will ever experience but it gives us an opportunity to reflect on what is really important.

In keeping with that theme – what is important – creating a few goals for the coming year may provide an opportunity for change, growth, peace and prosperity in 2021. With that in mind, here are a few thoughts on the link between our behaviors and the outcomes we produce that will hopefully give us some food for thought as we head into that traditional “New Year’s Resolution” season.

Behavior vs. Outcome-Based Goals

We know that goal-oriented people are usually more successful, happier, and more productive. But setting and keeping goals is a skill, and like any skill, there’s a right way to do it. One thing you might find useful is separating your goals into behavior-based and outcome-based groupings. There are a few differences between the two, and knowing which is which can be very helpful.

Behavior-Based Goals

Behavior-based goals are typically changes you make to how you act. For example, “I want to handle stress better”, “I would like to be nicer to other”, and “I want to spend less time procrastinating.” These are all examples of behavior-based goals. They focus on how you personally feel and behave, rather than just looking purely at the results or outcome of your actions.

Behavior-based goals play into outcome-based goals, but they aren’t the same. When you change how you think and feel, often you’ll notice a change in results. But that’s not the focus, it’s just a pleasant side-effect.

In order to create behavior-based goals, you’ll need to reflect on how you feel when you’re completing a certain task. Do you get snippy with customers, family or coworkers in the mornings, or feel exhausted when you’re trying to meet a deadline? Focusing on the way you feel when you aren’t performing well and then making a concrete effort to change can help to make you more pleasant and productive.

Outcome-Based Goals

Outcome-based goals are changes you make to your performance. For instance, answering your emails faster, reducing the amount of errors you make, and setting and getting projects done on time are all outcome-based goals. They focus on the outcome of your actions, rather than how you feel about performing your tasks.

Outcome-based goals tend to be easier to quantify. You can count the number of emails you respond to before lunch, and you can keep track of the amount of time you spend on a certain project. For this reason, most people focus on making outcome-based goals. After all, your progress is so much more obvious and easier to quantify.

Making Them Work Together

The real key to success is melding behavior-based goals with outcome-based goals. Often you can get to the root of a problem by changing your behavior, and then watch as your outcomes change. Sometimes it’s hard to separate the two, and that’s okay. Just don’t lose sight of the fact that your performance is a mix of both. Having the right mindset is just as important as working hard if you want to succeed.

And with that in mind, let’s not let 2020 go to waste and lose the time that we spent thinking. Thinking about the changes we want to make, thinking about what could be better in our lives, thinking about the new possibilities that we can explore and achieve. Let’s go beyond the obvious and shallow what we want to have and what we want to do and seriously consider what we want to be. Let those creative juices flow and make 2021 your best year ever.

5 THINGS TO BE HOPEFUL ABOUT

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EVEN IF IT FEELS LIKE ALL IS LOST

Everyone has times in their life when things look grim. They might even seem to be hopeless. The world can feel like a scary place, and it looks like you are alone in the middle of it. But history has shown that even in the worst of times, people have chosen to be hopeful. If you’re finding it hard to believe that better times will come, here are five things you can hang on to.

1. Your Health

No matter what world-of-life crisis you’re going through, if you have your health, you’re wealthy. You might take it for granted, but being strong and healthy is probably your biggest asset.

Look after your body, eat well, stay fit, and be game-ready for the next opportunity.

2. The Sun will Rise Tomorrow

Even the worst day comes to an end, and you get a chance to do better tomorrow. Brooding over past failures is as pointless as worrying about the future. You can only deal with what is right in front of you.

Take your motto from Scarlett O’Hara and remember that tomorrow is another day.

3. You Are Full of Potential

Do you believe you can live your best life? Do you think you can be successful, famous, and happy? Or does it feel to you that success is only for the lucky few?  
All humans are born full of potential. The only thing stopping you from meeting your potential is you. Change your mindset from self-doubt to self-confidence, and you can do whatever you set your mind to.

4. Learn to Look on the Bright Side

It’s highly unlikely that everything in your life will go wrong at once. So learn to hang onto the good things in your life and be grateful. No matter what situation you find yourself in, it could pretty much always be worse.

If you look for abundance, you will find it. Practice looking for things to be thankful for, starting with being alive right now. And remember, hard times come and hard times go. Better times are just around the corner.

5.Challenges Make You Stronger

If you’re down in the trough of a life crisis, remember that when you come out of the other end, you’ll be stronger and smarter than before. You will have learned things about yourself and what you’re capable of that would never have occurred to you before. And in spite of feeling crushed, you have triumphed, you made it!

Try this exercise – sit in a quiet space and write down 10 things you would like to BE – not have, not do, BE.

Now circle the 3 things that resonate the best with you right now.

Take some kind of action. Anything.

That’s it.

BE