As this year closes and another pops onto the horizon, you’re probably already thinking about the resolutions you want to make and the goals you want to set.
Yet for most leaders, it appears that making those resolutions and setting those goals is a massive waste of time.
Why?
Well, because for up to 92% of people, New Year’s resolutions fail.
With statistics like that, what do you do—give up?
Actually, no. There’s a better way to set goals that will result in success. But most people don’t take that route.
First, let’s cover three quick reasons goal setting and resolutions are a massive waste of time. Then, we’ll look at the one key characteristic you find among the 8% of people who hit their goals.
For too many people, “New Year New You” becomes “New Year Same You” – unless you figure out how to avoid that.For too many people, “New Year New You” becomes “New Year Same You.”CLICK TO TWEET
Trap One: Good Intentions
Their goals die on a piece of paper because nothing happens beyond writing them down.
You’ve heard it said more than a few times: If you have a goal, write it down.
That’s actually great advice.
The problem, of course, is that for the vast majority of people, that’s where their New Year’s Resolutions stop.
Their goals die on a piece of paper because nothing happens beyond writing them down.
As a result, all most people end up with is an intention.Their goals die on a piece of paper because nothing happens beyond writing them down.CLICK TO TWEET
Hoping to see your church grow without a plan to help your church grow is just that—a hope.
Intending to lose weight without a plan and process to lose weight is simply an intention.
So here’s the challenge. What do you hope will happen next year?
Writing it down is the first step, not the last step. And simply announcing it to people in the hopes that announcing it will help your stay accountable isn’t enough either.
Next year will be exactly like this year unless you change more than your intention.Next year will be exactly like this year unless you change more than your intention.CLICK TO TWEET
Trap 2: Momentum That Creates False Success
Momentum masks underlying problems, creating a false sense of success. This means that when the momentum ends (as it inevitably will), you have a much bigger mess to clean up than if you worked on the things that produce long-term health all along.
I’ve set goals as a leader every year for decades.
In the early years, an interesting pattern developed that I didn’t understand at the time. I would miss most of my personal goals (like losing weight or saving X amount of money) but hit most of my organizational goals (like growing church attendance or reaching new people).
Looking back on it, I realize I only hit my organizational goals because we had a ton of momentum.
While that feels good, it can create false success.
While the church growth and life-change that was happening were real, it came at a significant personal cost because I wasn’t nearly disciplined enough to carve out some margin in my life and schedule to do what mattered most.
Eventually, the inability to run my personal life well led to burnout.
The lesson here is simple. When you have momentum, setting a goal of 20% growth, for example, isn’t a goal nearly as much as it is a reasonable prediction.
The point? Outcome-driven goals feel motivating, but process-goals produce far better results in the long run.When you have momentum, setting a goal of 20% growth, for example, isn’t a goal nearly as much as it is a reasonable prediction. Outcome-driven goals feel motivating, but process-goals produce better results in the long run.CLICK TO TWEET
Financially, saving $500 a month is a better goal than hoping to see your investments grow by 15%, which they might do all by themselves in a bull market.
Shooting for 15% growth in your church attendance might happen ‘automatically’ if you have momentum. Overhauling and optimizing your guest assimilation strategy might be a wiser goal, though, as it can boost that growth rate even more.
And even if it doesn’t, you’re preparing your church for much better stewardship of the people who are coming than you would if you left things as they are.
Momentum masks underlying problems. It can create a false sense of success. This means that when the momentum ends (as it inevitably will), you have a much bigger mess to clean up than if you worked on the things that produce long-term health all along.Momentum masks underlying problems, creating a false sense of success. This means that when the momentum ends (as it inevitably will), you have a much bigger mess to clean up than if you worked on the things that produce long-term health…
