As a Skills Developer, I spend a lot of time trying to get people to invest in themselves to be the best that they can be.
Sadly, I have found that most people just don’t care. Ok, maybe that is a bit harsh. They want nice things, but they don’t care to put in the work to plan proper goals to get there.
As dangerous as it is, I am going to generalise here, but I am sure that most readers will recognise the scenario.
I find that most have faith in their New Year’s Resolutions. I mean, we are knee-deep in it in June, but we will address it in the New Year. In the New Year, a magical fairy will make time appear when we can have a few drinks around the fire one night and plan what we want to achieve for the next few months. This is based on what we have seen in the media, advice from friends, and a desire for improved status. Seldom is there the depth to these statements that comes from meticulous self-evaluation.
Then any set goals are hastily started in the first two or three months. By the end of March, there is still bubble wrap on the treadmill, dust on the new books, or a few extra kilos on the scale. Months go by, and we lose faith in ourselves and eventually give up. We become bitter at lost opportunities. In October, we may try to remedy the situation by giving a final Herculean push for the finish line and fail. Only to wish again on the New Year’s Fairy.
Some may put pen to paper and start fantastic planning. But invariably, the illusion of time leads to postponement and disappointment.
The reality is that personal development is a TODAY problem. To study in the New Year, you need to start saving months in advance, apply in September, to register before your bonus comes in December so that you can start in January. If you have fitness goals, that heart attack isn’t going to wait until a reasonable time after the fairy has come.
And my assessment becomes even worse as I move into the microwave younger generations.
This is why I follow a more rapid response. As an individual, there is no point in setting 1, 3, and 5-year goals. With today’s fast-paced world, the needs that you have today will be irrelevant in 5 years. You need to condense your calendar dramatically.
I have a colleague who has, for years, been unsuccessfully looking for a million-dollar idea. The big time. One day, he asked me how I make a success out of my side hustle. I told him it was easy: I strive to make R 100. That is my goal. I mean, what is R100 in today’s economy? It is easy to get someone to part with R 100 for your services. And then I look for another R 100 somewhere else. By the end of the month, I have a fist full of R100’s.
Personal development should be looked at in the same way. Your goals should be broken down into one week, one fortnight, one month, and one quarter. I am not going to lie, that takes work! But the goals should be simple: This week, I want to finish Chapter 1, find what weight set to start with, do a short online course, or make 10 sales. And there should be rewards and consequences for failure, like no beers over the weekend until I have finished my reading. Little inconveniences that will ensure that life feels easier if you just do it!
And life happens, and you will have setbacks. But it is the rewards that will get you back in the saddle again for next week. This accelerated model has helped me reach annual goals in 2 or 3 quarters. And because your goals are short-term, you are constantly monitoring them and are in absolute control. This means that you can rapidly adjust so that you can grab any new opportunity. I am in no way saying don’t enrol for a 3 or 4-year degree. I just, instead of looking at it as so many months until exams, I make 52 bite-sized portions.
If you are even half as committed to your personal development as you are to getting the quarterly sales report in on time, you are going to go far in life.