In order to move forward in your career, you need to make sure that you’re prioritizing your personal growth. It starts with setting goals for yourself and figuring out how to achieve them.
But what happens when you don’t follow through? A lot of people end up abandoning their goals after a few weeks because of a lot of different reasons. They might end up becoming too busy at work, they probably didn’t expect it to be hard, or they just lost motivation altogether. Is there a way to overcome these excuses?
It might be time to get your team members on board with your personal improvement. They might be doing the same for themselves, so why not start helping each other out? This way, you can foster a sense of camaraderie, knowing that you can be each other’s support system as you try and grow in your respective careers.
What can you do to lift yourself and your team members up to achieve your personal improvement goals? Here are four steps you can take.
Create accountability
One thing that deters people from working for their goals is because no one is holding them accountable for it. Even if they genuinely want to grow and do better, they still lack the drive. This usually happens when there’s no consequence when they don’t follow through with their goals – they are not likely to persevere.
How can you and your team members support one another? Make sure each one of you answers for your individual progress. You can do this by assigning partners or coaches, meeting regularly to check on each other, and challenging each other. Once you know that someone’s keeping track of your progress, you’ll feel a sense of accountability, and you’ll be encouraged to power through.
Do informal monthly reviews
Your company is probably doing 360-degree reviews to provide feedback for leaders. Why not follow suit and create something similar for your own team? You can make it more frequent and immediate so that you can all adapt as you move forward.
At least once a month, gather together and ask your teammates how they think you are doing. When you get their feedback, work on what they tell you immediately. Adopting different behaviors based on what you hear from others will make it easier for you to persevere and achieve your personal improvement goals.
Join others who are on the same path
Encouragement from others who are going through the same things as you can be powerful. You will be more motivated to work because you know there are other people who have your back and will keep pushing you forward as they do the same. That’s why it’s important to find peers.
Joining groups and forums that are relevant to what you’re working on will be beneficial. Reading others’ success stories, seeing them exchange ideas and show support, and learning about pitfalls will make you more confident and inspire you to stick to your goals. Seeking the company of like-minded people will make you more headstrong with your commitment to be better.
Hire the right coach
Hiring a coach is a great option if you really want to focus on self-improvement. However, it’s important to choose the right one. Just because this person was a great coach to others doesn’t make him automatically a good fit for you.
You need to make sure you’re comfortable with this person – you will open up and be vulnerable about your true aspirations and motivations, so find someone you can trust. You also have to find out if they’re an expert at the particular area in which you want to grow. This way, you’ll be sure that you find the right match for your self-improvement journey.