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As we draw closer to 2021, I encourage you to set goals as discussed in an earlier article because they will give you a sense of purpose and motivation. They will motivate you to get out of bed in the morning, to work an extra shift or a second job as well as to give up some comforts temporarily.
Some of you may have one or two goals, and others may have 50. So, what do you do? I don’t know about you, but I don’t have superpowers, limitless resources and all the money in the world. More importantly, I cannot do ten things at once, at least correctly, and without burning out.
So, which goal do you complete first, second, third or not at all? My client, Anita, has this challenge. She is ambitious and wants to do, have and be so many things but there are only 24 hours in a day and so much money in the bank, so she needs to prioritize.
Prioritize! How can Anita do this when all her goals are essential for her happiness? I asked Anita to find a quiet place where she will not be disturbed for at least one hour. Then I asked her to complete this simple exercise.
Anita must place each goal into one of the three jars: WANTS, NEEDS and MUST-HAVES. Then she will examine the Jar, MUST-HAVES, and rank the contents in the following order: one being the most important, two, second importance, etc. On completion of this exercise, Anita will have a clear idea as to where to focus her energies.
So, what did Anita do? Anita placed her career goal to become a nurse in the MUST-HAVES jar along with saving for retirement and buying a house. I also encouraged her to include her health goals like exercising three times a week, eating healthy because you cannot do anything if you are sick.
Goals such as getting married, having children, taking annual vacations, Anita added to the NEEDS jar.
Lastly, dining out every week, changing her wardrobe, furniture etc., was captured in the WANTS Jar.
Remember, we are different, so it’s okay if the grouping of your goals does not look like this.
You may find that the achievement of one goal significantly helps with the accomplishment of others. For example, once Anita becomes a nurse, she can begin saving for retirement and a house.
If you have placed all your goals in the MUST-HAVES jar, then you may need to reevaluate your choices. Try working with a coach to clarify what is most important to you.
Now, what do you do with the goals placed in the NEEDS AND WANTS Jars? I recommend that you focus on emptying the MUST-HAVES Jar first as well as consider periodically whether some of the other goals should move to the MUST-HAVES Jar. It is up to you.
Give yourself the gift of clarity and focus. Set your goals and then take some time to prioritize.