by Dr. Colleen Batchelder
Have you run out of steam and feel like you’re at a dead-end?
You’re not alone. Many of us are there alongside you. Margarita Monday has now become a week-long event. We’re raging in our sweatpants with Wine Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday, and it’s five o’clock somewhere Friday.
Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not suggesting that you sleep with your champagne flutes. But, 2020 has not been easy, especially for women trying to balance it all without losing it all.
We all thought this pandemic would be an excellent excuse to work from home in our PJs for a few weeks. However, we never expected to be watching Sesame Street with our kids for the umpteenth time while working from home.
It hasn’t been easy to catch your breath; nevermind accomplishing your goals. But, here are a few tools to help you focus and meet your objectives:
Give Yourself a Time-Out
Remove all distractions. I mean it. Don’t just switch your electronics to silent for a few hours and pat yourself on the back. If you want to reach your goals this year, you need to understand your hangups––this means hanging up and switching off your phone.
Now, it’s nice to have this goal. But, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Removing your phone is like giving up your lifeline. You won’t realize how many pet videos you watch on YouTube until you experience the withdrawal symptoms of having to self-soothe without blue light.
If you want to live without distraction, then you need to recruit some accountability. Ask your spouse or a close friend to hide your gadgets and throw away the key. You might hate their guts for the first few hours, but when you start seeing your productivity skyrocket, you’ll offer to donate them your kidney.
Your Words with Friends game will always be there. But you only have a couple more months before it’s 2021. Take a time-out from technology and figure out what you want to accomplish before the noisemakers and confetti ring in the new year.
Write a List and Remove Half of Your Goals
I get it. It’s 2020, and you have a mask. But that doesn’t mean that you’re a superhero.
If you want to reach your goals this year, then you have to rate them by importance. So, how do you figure out what to keep and what to remove? Think of your list in three parts and ask yourself these three questions:
- Does this goal matter to more people than me?
- How will this goal increase my business?
- Will this goal lead me to a bigger purpose in 2021?
If your goals check all the boxes, then put them at the top of your list. Then, ask yourself one more question: When I meet these goals, how will I feel?
Add Yourself to Your 2020 Goals
As business leaders, we like to see our dreams go from point A to point B. Something is thrilling about seeing our thoughts come to life. But, if we’re not willing to count the cost, then we’ll be at the top of our game and the bottom of our health.
Arianna Huffington made headlines in 2007 when she decided to pack her bags and leave her office after she had collapsed from sleep deprivation. Like many other business leaders, she realized there are no trade-offs between living a well-rounded life and having a successful career.
Crossing off a task list can feel euphoric. But if it costs us our health, it’s not worth it. If you want to reach your 2020 goals, choose goals that also leave room for sleep, exercise, a social life, and healthy living.
Lean Into the Pivot to Find Your Purpose
I know what you’re thinking. Aren’t we all supposed to push against change? Isn’t that the only way to sustain the storm? I thought this too––but I soon realized that the only way to wrestle with the ocean is to dive through the waves.
After all, business is a lot like basketball––the pivot is a fundamental move. If you want to check off your task list this year, you need to understand what is going on around you and weave back-and-forth towards a slamdunk.
Always remember, your ultimate purpose is to make the world a better place––not sticking to the same daily plan. Embrace the pivot and take time to respond. The storm might take you away from the edge of the shore, but don’t struggle against the current. Take this moment to see the beach from a different view.
You only have 52 days until it’s January 1st, 2021. Figure out what needs to pivot. Maybe you need to move across the country, move employees around, or even quit your job and start from scratch. Your purpose stays the same when it’s centered on serving people. But, you can’t serve others if you’re afraid of pivoting.
You still have some time to meet your brilliant 2020 goals. And you have the tools to get there without facing burnout. But remember, before try to meet your objectives, take a time-out from technology, slenderize your task list, consider your health, and lean into the pivot.
Get an early start on your New Year’s resolution. If you embrace this moment right now, you’ll be more than ready for 2021.
As a Diversity and Inclusion Consultant and Leadership Strategist, Dr. Colleen Batchelder helps leaders create companies where Millennials want to work. Her doctoral background in leadership and global perspectives gives her an added edge because she approaches generational dissonance from all directions, including from an anthropological, theological, sociological, and ethnographic lens. Connect with Dr. Batchelder on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
