It’s February. How are your 2021 goals going?
Many people kick off January with a BANG - they have a goal, a new path in mind and are really rocking it those first days and weeks.
Then...we get overwhelmed, distracted, frustrated, tired. I’ve seen this happen with family and friends and I’ve seen it happen in businesses and organizations too. My personal theory is that while we take time to really think through our goals and get excited about setting them, determining small, achievable steps towards those goals is often neglected.
Let’s say you had a goal of finally becoming a fitness instructor in 2021. It’s something you’ve been talking about for a couple of years now (or maybe it's been in the back of your mind for a while and you’ve just now started saying it out loud). You set a goal: by the end of 2021, you'll be working at least part time as a fitness instructor somewhere.
This seems like a reasonable enough timeline; after all, you likely just need to find a course to take to get you the credentials to become a fitness instructor and then offer your services to a fitness facility. You start doing some research and realize there isn’t just “one” course. There are so many styles and types of instruction, so many institutions offering accreditation, so many different fitness facilities...it’s overwhelming! So you pause, realizing you may have bitten off more than you can chew.
What if, at the time of setting your January goal, you had a partner (a Pivot Partner, perhaps?) who helped you actually break down the steps needed to achieve your goal into realistic tasks. Something like this:
January - March: Visit at least three new fitness classes each month and assess your enjoyment of the type of exercise. If you like it, chat with the instructor about what it took to become an instructor for that particular type of class. Keep a list and maybe rate it as you go.
April: Narrow down your list to the two or three types of fitness instruction that appeal to you the most. Do a little more research on each of these and the time commitment and cost for training and certification.
May: Find and sign up for training and certification for your chosen fitness instruction type.
June-August: Begin certification training and explore where you might get a job.
September: Decide how many hours per week, preferred time of day and where you might like to apply for a position.
October-November: Apply for positions and go through hiring process.
December: Celebrate that you achieved your goal! Begin working as a fitness instructor.
In addition to having a Pivot Partner help you break down your goal into achievable steps, what if this person also served as an accountability partner and checked in with you regularly to see how things were going?
Your Pivot Partner can help you change up a timeline in response to things that happen along the way. Having a Pivot Partner also gives you a reason to make sure you’re completing the tasks the two of you have set up - it's all about that accountability. Breaking your goal down into small, achievable tasks is a key to making sure you don’t get overwhelmed and give up. And bonus - it's reason to celebrate more every time those small tasks and goals are achieved!
For more information on scheduling an appointment with a Pivot Partner or becoming a member and celebrating each step with our supportive community, visit www.thepivotpartners.com