Effectively Planning Your Year

Last week, we explored the benefits of reflecting on the year that just ended. Now, it is time to dive into how to best set goals for the upcoming year. I've extensively researched this topic, encountering a range of recommendations. Some emphasize the importance of goal setting, while others assert that goals don't matter, and what truly counts is retrospection and habit-building. My conclusion is that goal setting does matter, but it's equally important to consider how you will achieve these goals throughout the year.

Here are my three main lessons learned, drawn from years of research, planning, and experiencing both success and failure in personal and business goals:

Keep it Simple and Flexible: Many people tend to overdo goal setting and eventually abandon it, often around the second Friday in January, known as “Quitters Day.” Stay open to adjusting your goals along the way, and ensure that the goals are small increments to what you currently do.

Input Goals vs. Output Goals: For years, I used to set goals like "Lose XX kg/lbs by Dec 31st," but the reality is that this is not actionable. This is an output goal that depends on many factors. Break it down into small, controllable chunks with a much shorter time frame, such as "Complete strength training 3 times per week," or "Drink X liters/ounces of water daily," or "Avoid eating sweets after 6 pm on weekdays." These, are input goals.

The importance of a System to Assess Your Progress: Your immediate gratification (Homer Simpson)-self may lose interest if it doesn't see progress on the sacrifices made. Focus on making the journey fun and gratifying, given that the destination is a year away. A system is what guarantees turning inputs into outputs. To set one, you will need a tracker, an assigned cadence to review this tracker, and an inspection checkpoint.

Execution Time! Now, let's talk about how to implement these into your planning process:

1. Write down 3-5 output goals: Focusing on common themes such as health, relationships (#1 contributor for happiness), career progression/money, and spirituality. Ensure these goals are specific and measurable, including time frames, such as “Lose XX kg/lbs.”

2. Break outputs into input goals. Specify the goals you believe you need to achieve on a daily, weekly or monthly basis to bring you closer to achieving your output goals. For example, “Do strength training 3 times a week.”

3. Set up a tracker to check on each goal. This could be an Excel tracker reviewed during Your Weekly Review.

4. Establish a quarterly checkpoint to review progress and assess whether your inputs, outputs, or trackers need tweaking. For example, ask yourself: “How many times did I actually finish 3 strength trainings in a week?”

The concept behind all of this is that a year is too long of a time. You should know what your New Year’s resolutions (output goals) are, but you should obsess about setting the right System to achieve them: determining the inputs to get there, tracking their progress, and tweaking things along the way.

Ready, Set, Goals,

Jorge Luis Pando

 PS: Reply to this email with your 2024 Goals I’ll share mine back. We can provide feedback to one another!

"Goals are the results we want to achieve. Systems are the processes that lead to those results. If you want results (…) focus on your system". - James Clear

"Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side. It's the climb" - Miley Cyrus (sorry, I couldn't help myself)