How to avoid wishful thinking this time of year

This time of year is all about planning for next year.

I'm a fan ("If you fail to plan, you plan to fail," etc.).

Whether leading a team or in my solopreneur business, I also look at the results I'm currently getting.

Even if they're painful.

Today's results reflect what I've been committed to over the last 12 months.

"Commitment is a statement of what is. From our perspective, you can know your commitments by your results, not by what you say your commitments are. We are all committed. Conscious leaders own their commitments by owning their results." - The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership.

If I said I was committed to helping 100 agencies this year, but I've only helped 68, how committed was I?

In this example, I was committed to helping 68 because that is the result. I own that.

With this realization, I can adjust my commitment this next year or do the things that will get me to my "100 agencies helped in a year" goal.

But if I ignore the facts of my results, my planning is based on fantasy.

Here's the lesson: seek the facts of your results to set goals based on the truth of who you are today.

I hope this helps.

Here's to a fantastic 2024!

CQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do results matter more than stated intentions when evaluating commitment?

Because commitment is a statement of what is. Results reflect what was actually prioritized over the past year, regardless of what was said or intended at the start.

What does the "100 agencies helped" example actually illustrate?

That helping 68 out of a stated goal of 100 means the real commitment, based on results, was to 68. The gap between intention and outcome reveals the truth of where effort actually went.

Why is it important to "own" a result instead of explaining it away?

Because owning the result, rather than rationalizing the gap, is what allows for an honest adjustment going forward, either recommitting more fully or setting a goal that reflects reality.

What happens if planning ignores the actual facts of past results?

The planning becomes based on fantasy rather than truth. Goals set without accounting for what actually happened tend to repeat the same gap between intention and outcome.

What's the actual lesson for setting goals for the next year?

Seek the facts of past results first. Goals grounded in the truth of what actually happened are far more likely to be achievable than ones built on wishful thinking about what should have happened.