It’s February 28th and I’m scrapping my 2019 goals.
The crazy part, I am a planner. Which means if something is going to happen, I am going to plan the sh*t out of it!
So, you can imagine how much time went into my 2019 goals.
But, what I planned to do in 2019 is proving not to be what I want anymore. So, I have decided to scrap the goals I spent hours meticulously preparing.
There’s a curveball
I had my most successful month in business in January. Yes, last month was my most successful month-to-date. However, it was followed by a dramatic downturn in February.
Now, this massive shift in business is not a direct reflection of my abilities (or lack of skills) for running my business. Instead, I’ve realized something, and it’s deep.
When I started out the New Year, I was moving forward with what I thought I had to do. In other words, I was acting in accordance with what others told me to do.
What I was not doing: Moving forward on a plan that was in line with what I wanted in my future. You can say, I wasn’t being true to myself. And, that caused me to lose my sense of direction.
Well, I might not be telling 100% of the truth.
There is one major detail missing
My father in law, Dave, passed away on January 31st. That evening, I posted on Facebook about how happy I was to finally gain traction in my professional life. Within an hour of posting that, I received a phone call notifying me of Dave’s passing. Although it was not exactly unexpected, he had lung cancer, I was still devastated by the news.
As a result, I spent February reflecting on life and business. And, did a lot of thinking about what I really want to achieve. In the process, my biggest realization was that I had lost direction and was not actively pursuing my dreams.
Losing Dave caused me to question everything. But, mostly, I questioned my business. Was I do everything I want to do in my business? Was I headed in the direction I wanted to go professionally? Was I actively working toward my long-term goals, or had I veered off course?
I don’t have all the answers. In fact, I am still questioning a lot at this point. The one thing I know that is stable right now is my love for my family. I am so incredibly grateful to have them in my life.
I also know I want to continue to be an entrepreneur, but the direction my company takes in the future is open to just about anything right now.
What’s your point?
The lesson in all of this, just because we have something planned, doesn’t mean we have to stick to it.
Blindly sticking by our goals, even when things have changed in our life, is a recipe for disaster.
For me, this meant as I started to question things, I really honed in on what I want long-term. More importantly, I needed to address this question: Is my daily life reflective of what I want to be doing in my future?
Restated, was I keeping myself busy with what will help get me closer to my long-term goals? Or, was I engaged in busy work just to feel as though I was productive in my business? <—If you haven’t thought through this second question yourself, I highly encouraged you to get to the bottom of it. The answer may be mind-blowing!
As February progressed, it became clear something was missing. Yes, Dave was gone and maybe I was searching for the meaning of life in his absence. But, this also made me realize I needed to look at my business – and life – differently than I have been.
In all this, the epiphany I had was this: I needed to scrap my 2019 goals.
While these goals were something I was passionate about in January, I’ve since realized: 1) These goals were because I felt I needed to do them based on other people’s feedback, and 2) While I would feel productive working towards the goals I meticulously planned, my 2019 goals were also taking me on a detour – and extending my quest toward my long-term goals.
What about you?
Are your current goals getting you closer to your long-term goals? Or, are they merely goals to help you feel productive on the projects you have been working on in recent months?
Changing Plans is Not a Failure
And remember, just because you change your plans, it does not mean you have failed. Instead, look at it as if you have more knowledge and experience. That additional information has helped you to make a more informed decision.
I will leave you with these questions to ponder:
- Is what you do in your daily life helping you to get closer to your long-term goals? Why or why not?
- If your daily life is not helping inch you closer and closer to those long-term goals, what can you do differently? Remember, this does not have to be some significant, ground-breaking change. Even spending 10-20 minutes a day on something is better than nothing!
- How does your business make you feel? Are you energized by your work? If so, you are probably on the right path. On the flip-side, if you feel drained by your work, what can you do differently to spark more passion?
All in all, I hope your New Year is going better than mine has. But, if you are in a similar situation, don’t feel as if you are doing something wrong. Instead, it part of your story and know you are still destined for great things!
Hugs, Kristi