Close the loop on goals. Tracking progress means measuring where you are compared to where you came from and the goals you set. Measuring your progress needs an occasional “look back”, preferably with a sense of curiosity, not judgement. For some of us, holding off on judgement is tough and requires the practice of new habits.
Summer is my time to review my strategic plan and look back. Two years into my entrepreneurial experiment here’s what my look back uncovered, by the numbers.
Coaching by the Numbers
Since beginning my coaching journey - September 2016, I:
Completed accredited coach training;
became an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coach Federation (ICF);
partnered with over 45 clients as coach;
provided over 180 hours of contracted coaching;
provided coach training for three (3) organizations; and
was approved to contract with City of Edmonton employees for coaching services.
Consulting by the Numbers
Since beginning my consulting journey - September 2016, I:
Founded SaLT Catalyst Consulting and built my own website;
Created Total Governance – a governance development model;
Certified in four (4) different approaches to facilitate team development and design;
(Total SDI®, MBTI®, Coaching out of the Box®, Designing Collaborative Workplaces);
Partnered with:
BreakPoint Solutions and worked and learned alongside like-minded colleagues;
Six (6) boards and councils in governance development;
Five (5) organizations in strategic and operational planning;
Four (4) organizations in policy scanning and design; and
Two (2) organizations in Organizational Design with Change Management
Here’s what else I noticed:
I met, if not exceeded, some but not all my goals.
My mission and vision are still relevant and valid to me – with a few tweaks here and there.
Some of my strategies seemed to work; some did not work the way I wanted or thought they would.
Along the way, I often felt like I was not doing enough (I was) and I experienced feeling discouraged and overwhelmed on many days (this is normal and a good place to explore developing a new habit).
Strategic planning for myself is a challenging, iterative work-in-progress (as it is for most of us) and I’m getting better at it through practice.
The exercises of looking back re-energized and motivated me (a pleasant surprise) – I had a lot to celebrate and I uncovered areas where I’m excited to try something different.
I’m doing it!
Other tips for staying on track:
Keep it simple – focus on just a few priority goals and remember the 80/20 rule, otherwise known as the Pareto principle.
Plan, set milestones and revisit your plan consistently – get curious, not judgmental.
Track your progress and share the outcomes with the people in your corner – those who are known to support and encourage you (identify them and reach out to them often).
How might you set aside time to get clear on and track towards a few of your most important personal ~ professional ~ financial goals? Consider working with a coach to get you on your way – the first three individuals who email me with the title of this blog will be able to apply 50% off the coaching package of their choice. Consider reading to gain some insights on where to start and how to plan – The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran was a good one for me. If you read it, let me know what you think and if you plan to put it in to practice.
And what else might you do to stay on track with your dreams?