By Allison Klingsick
Senior Account Executive

In the last few years, I’ve enjoyed writing down my New Year’s resolutions, though 2019 was the first year I actually completed one of them, and I met my goal of learning how to make cinnamon rolls at home…on the afternoon of December 31. Apparently, I need to work on execution!

I love the new year. Mainly, I love the idea of having a clean slate and a focus to guide the next 12 months. But it can be hard to put resolutions or goals into practice as they seem so daunting – especially when you’re first starting out. Below are a few small steps I’ve compiled that we can all take to have 20/20 vision in 2020 and actually tackle those resolutions – before December 31!

Plan, Plan, Plan!

There are many famous sayings about the need for planning and that can happen without a plan (e.g. “Failing to plan is planning to fail!”). And there’s a reason: Plans are necessary. But how are the best plans created?

• Evaluate 2019. What worked best and what didn’t work? Understand and process the previous year’s occurrences to help you see what you might need to do differently this year.
• Think critically. On a personal level, what do you want to do in 2020? Do you want to be more fit, or healthier, or perhaps learn a new skill? On a professional level, is there a number you want to reach or an award you want to win? Knowing what you want is necessary for any plan.
• Get specific. What method should you use to meet your goal? Including small steps or even minor wins in your plan helps make the end goal more attainable.
• Write it down. Dave Ramsey says, “A goal not written down is just a wish.” Goals become tangible when they are written down and kept somewhere you will see them often.

Get Organized

Organization plays a large role in not only planning but actually meeting goals.

• Tidy Up. A tidy workspace is a happy workspace. In today’s digital workforce, this also – and perhaps especially – includes organizing your email inbox. Removing clutter and putting things in their place, whether in your workspace or in your personal life, often helps your brain feel less cluttered. It can also allow you to focus by removing distractions.
• Tools Help. As a person who isn’t necessarily organized by nature, I find that calendars and to-do lists, whether hard copy or digital, help me get – and stay – organized.

Relationships are Key

In 2020, relationships – particularly in business and with the media – will continue to come at a premium, especially as the media and other industries continue to shrink.

• Plan it out. Life gets busy and making it a point to develop relationships can often slip your mind, so putting recurring reminders on your calendar or to-do list can help. For example, you can reach out to a different business contact each week or meet up with others in the industry on a monthly basis. These touchpoints can help maintain and create relationships that may prove useful immediately or in the future.
• Mentors. Find someone who is walking the same path you are (or the path you want to walk) but who is a few steps ahead of you. That person can play a key role in helping you understand what you need to do next on your journey to achieving your goals and might also help you avoid some potholes in the road! (Learn why NBC Political strategists Susan Del Percio and Adrienne Elrod find it important to have a mentor at every stage of your career.)
• Listen. In today’s technology-driven culture, it’s easy to always be thinking about your next meeting or obligation and not truly be in the moment. But for relationships to mature and grow, it’s important to give the person in front of you your full attention and truly listen to them.

Intentionality

One of my favorite sayings is, “What you do today is better than what you plan to do tomorrow.” Plans are necessary, but we have to go a step forward and actually take action.

• Be intentional. To be intentional means to plan and do things on purpose. You can’t accidentally grow or meet your goals. It takes intentionality.
• Go back to your goals. Review your goals often to determine if your current actions and opportunities align with those goals and how close you are to meeting them.
• Do what’s best. There are a lot of steps we can take to meet our goals, and many of them would even be considered “good,” but what’s best?
• You might not meet every goal you have, which is okay. But, if at the end of 2020 you can say you stretched yourself and tried, that’s truly a win within itself.

2020 is here – so what are you waiting for? Join me in using these tips to make it the best year yet.