written by
Iain Smith

The Best Time For Setting Goals

Time Management 1 min read

I was reminded of a great idea about setting goals from a connection on LinkedIn who told me:

"I don’t do New Year’s resolutions - I pick a word I want to sum up the year ahead."

This makes complete sense because New Year is actually a terrible time for making promises to yourself and setting goals.

It's the party season and there can be too much temptation in the way to make an effective and encouraging start.

Tired Man Not Setting Goals

People are tired, skint and the last thing they feel like is making plans.

No-one really wants to pull their trainers on and start the 'Couch to 5K' when it's cold, rainy and pitch black by 4.30pm.

When Is Your Best Time For Setting Goals?

So why not choose a better time of year to set your goals? There's no rule that says it has to be New Year.

I'm sure you can find a more appropriate trigger date that suits you best. It might be:

  • The new financial year
  • Your birthday
  • The first day of spring
  • The end or start of a school term

Different times will suit different folks. For years and years it seemed that the chapters of my life went from September to August. I don't know why really but I embraced it and planned each new beginning to start in September.

The chapters of my life are different now but I still use the summer break, lying by a pool with a pad, to outline the next steps in my quest for world domination.

When is your best time for reflection and planning goals? It really doesn't have to wait until the New Year. Remember the next 365 days start tomorrow.

Iain helps organisations get more done, in less time and reduce stress. He delivers inspiring training courses across the UK and abroad. You can contact him here.

He writes a weekly top tips newsletter that you can sign up for on this very page, or by visiting his website.

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