by Holly Boxenhorn | Jan 1, 2019 | Blog
Maximize Your Success This Year
There’s no denying that with a new year comes fresh opportunities and a renewed sense of energy to attain the things we want in and for our lives. But simply setting vague, lofty goals won’t be enough. In last month’s newsletter, we were able to get a jump start on thinking through those goals we want to focus on this coming year by doing the suggested self-designed wheel exercise shared in December’s post. Now, this month it’s time to create the structure we need to actually achieve those goals. One of the best ways to manage and track our progress is with the SMART process, a well-known coaching tool used to break down goals into manageable action steps providing the clarity and direction needed for goal setting while simultaneously enhancing accountability and lessening feelings of overwhelm.
As you can see the word SMART is used as an acronym:
S – Specific What specifically do you want? Or what exactly is the first step/action you need to take?
M – Measurable What is the quality or quantity you want?
A – Achievable Is this goal possible or step/action possible?
R – Reasonable Will you do this? How reasonable is it that you will do this?
T – Time By when will you reach this goal (entire goal) or complete the first step (not the entire goal)?
Each letter in the acronym helps guide goal setting in a certain way. So for example, let’s say I want to use the SMART process for a professional goal to obtain more clients. Gaining more clients is a good starting point but is much too vague. How many new clients do I want to gain? How will I gain them? When will I gain them by? How will I measure my success? And most importantly are the action steps realistic and reasonable? These are all questions that need to be answered…
Gain more clients for my business by providing free monthly webinars. Now, this is better, but I still need a way to measure how many clients I am gaining through these free webinars. So I determine a form of measurement. Gain 3 clients every quarter for my business by providing free monthly webinars. This is a good SMART goal. Not only does it outline a specific objective, but it also defines how I will achieve that objective while giving me a timeline and several milestones to track my progress. Additionally, I know I have the materials and technology as well as time to put monthly webinars into place so it is an achievable and reasonable goal.
Here’s another example using the SMART process but this time with a personal goal to lose weight for someone let’s say who is approximately 20lbs overweight.
Lose weight by exercising a minimum of three times a week and join Weight Watchers. Again a great start as now they have clarity and direction with actions steps in place but now it’s important to manage and track progress. By exercising three times a week and following the Weight Watchers plan a minimum of 2lbs a week will be lost. This is not only achievable but reasonable as stated this person has excess body weight and it is assumed she can commit to this plan.
Maximize your chances for success this year, follow the two-step process provided in both last and this month’s post, not only will you determine those goals that will support the outcomes you are looking to see happen in 2019 but the roadmap to getting you there.
Wishing You Always The Best Of Success
-Holly-
by Holly Boxenhorn | Dec 2, 2018 | Blog
Your 2019 Priorities
Wow, it’s hard to believe another year is almost in the books! Time to do some reflecting and planning. I know everyone is likely crazy busy with holiday prep and festivities. But that’s all the more reason to find some downtime to grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine, set yourself up in a comfortable environment where you will feel relaxed and focused to do this month’s suggested activity. It is a twist on a coaching tool shared in past newsletters and found on my website under Valuable Downloads, called the Wheel of Life. But this time rather then rate your level of satisfaction in each of the provided aspects on the wheel, I want you to now draw your own wheel, divide it up into 6 even pie-like slices and determine those areas YOU want to focus on for the next year (see image attached).
Some examples might be: finances, romantic relationship, renovating/organizing a house, writing a book, health and exercise, career, paying it forward, family, creativity, fun/enjoyment, etc. Then from there write 5 measurable and obtainable goals you can accomplish under each category. So for example, under creativity one might write: take an art class from a local university. Or for paying it forward: volunteer at local animal shelter or maybe donate clothing no longer worn. You get the picture, just be specific and make sure you can see results at the end of the year.
This exercise was recently introduced to me through a colleague. He came across it in a book called Reboot Your Life: Energize Your Career and Life by Taking a Break. The book goes on to suggest selecting one goal from each category that is most important for you to accomplish and start first with those. I love this activity mostly because it can really help create the change we want in our lives and bring it back to harmony and balance by providing a focus on our priorities (not others) while serving as a great reference tool to keep us accountable. Keep in mind it’s not about attaining everything in our circle but more about honoring what it is we want to see happen in and for our lives in the next coming year and then having that down in black and white. This way we not only have a jumpstart to the new year but a plan to boot with actionable steps in place!
Best of Success & HappyHolidays!
-Holly-
by Holly Boxenhorn | Dec 1, 2017 | Blog
Reclaim Your Time!
December 2017
As we move into the height of the holiday season, notably a time-consuming month and lending nicely to last month’s post on “Shifting The Pressure of Time”, I’d thought it be helpful to take December’s newsletter to explore the two biggest pitfalls women fall prey to resulting in valuable loss of their time…overcommitting and failing to manage distractions. (more…)
by Holly Boxenhorn | Aug 2, 2016 | Blog
CHOOSE TO!
August 2016 Insights
Many of us walk around feeling like we have limited choices in many aspects of our lives. Take notice of how many times in a day you say the words have to, should, and need to. Whenever you feel like you must do something, you’re a prisoner, a victim to your thoughts or circumstances. In fact, when faced with a task or something to do, there are five basic ways you can view them and only one is by full conscious choice. (more…)
by Holly Boxenhorn | Jun 6, 2016 | Blog
The Power Of Our Surroundings
June 2016 Insights
Now with the feel of the summer months upon us…everything in bloom, lawns and trees becoming a deep shade of green, temperatures getting warmer, and daylight hours getting longer, I thought this be a great time to take my monthly newsletter to highlight the significance our environment has upon our energy levels. I think like our health this is one major variable that we women tend to back burner and underestimate the impact it has on our levels of stress, as well as how willing and enthusiastic we are to bust some moves to motivate and get going on what we want in and for our lives. Though environmental factors aren’t always under our control you’d be surprised to learn how we can manage them more effectively so we can enhance our performance and inevitably our wellbeing.
Personally environmental variables plays a huge influence on my levels of productivity. I’m heavily affected by the weather, conditions of my working, living, and playing surroundings, time of day, as well as the resources I have available to me (e.g. technology, access to food and drink, comfort of clothing), all playing a key role in creating the most optimal environment for me to be most successful. The funny thing is I don’t even think many us of realize how much we tolerate a less than desirable environment for ourselves. And though yes many environmental factors aren’t always under our control (you can’t stop the rain from falling or how bad the allergy season will be) we can learn to manage them more effectively so they don’t entirely zap our levels of motivation as well as identify how we can possibly better assist ourselves to change our “attitude” around those things we have limited ability to control.
Since we all respond so differently to environmental influences the first thing to determine is your own self awareness around what factors in your environment influence you in a positive or negative way. Below you’ll find a list of conditions and settings to consider…
- Climate/weather
- Time of day
- Adequacy of lighting
- Presence of distracting noise
- Conditions you are working, living, playing within, the space-general upkeep
- Availability of food and drink
- Convenience of where you are at (i.e transportation to and from, rest room facilities, other amenities).
- Equipment available to you (i.e.state of the art technology, phones, comfort of working or resting chairs, desk, tables)
- Proper and comfortable clothing/gear regarding intentions for performance
Now consider what is your ideal environmental setting to best thrive in? And is your current environment working for you or against you…whether it be while you are working, living, or playing. More importantly what can you do to enhance your environment and what choices can you make to foster the most optimal experiences?
Remember it’s all about creating an environment that works for you, supports and lifts you up, not detracts from your performance. Of course, environmental influencers can unexpectedly change on us so with that understanding it is equally important to learn how to not only adapt to changing environments but anticipate what kind of adverse conditions could occur so you can best prepare to adjust accordingly. For example, having printouts of a presentation should a tech problem arise, bringing an umbrella or wearing a raincoat/gear should the weather be questionable, or simply making sure to bring water or a snack knowing this may be not be accessible.
Lastly and most importantly for those environmental conditions we cannot control or have limited ability to manage, we can learn how to foster a better “attitude” regarding them. This is going to be an integral component to assisting ourselves to our greatest levels of success…instead of letting conditions affect our energy, we can change our perspective about them. Yes, of course we may prefer a different environment to access our highest potentials, however, we can choose to have great energy even in less than optimal surroundings and chose to see the glass as half full and not empty. This is where the tool of reframing will lend a big hand. Please go to the “How It Works” link on my website and click on “Valuable Downloads” to learn more about this great coaching tool or better yet reach out and contact me to set up a complimentary session. I’d love to have an opportunity to support and explore enhancing not only your most ideal environmental surroundings to thrive in but assist in any and all aspects of your life that can create the most optimal experiences for yourself overall!
Wishing You Always
The Best Of Success
-Holly-
