It can be challenging for leaders, to be honest about why they didn’t accomplish their goals. We often make excuses or come up with reasons why we didn’t do what we said we would do. If you want your next year to be different, it is essential to take an honest look at what got in the way of achieving your goals and create a successful plan.

The first step in being honest with yourself is acknowledging your mistakes without judgment. Instead of beating yourself up or making excuses, take action and analyze the situation objectively. What were your expectations? What went wrong? Where did you fall short? Identifying these areas can help you understand where you need to focus more effort and attention to reach your desired outcomes.

Once you have identified where things went wrong, it is essential that you take responsibility for your actions (or lack thereof). Taking ownership of our failures is not easy, but it is necessary if we want to reach our goals. Instead of blaming external factors, try to identify what role you played in the situation or whether there was anything else you could have done differently. Once you have taken responsibility for your failure, it will be easier for you to move forward and create a plan for success.

Having an honest conversation with yourself about what went wrong can help inform the decisions that will lead to reaching your desired outcomes next year. Start by setting clear goals and objectives that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Then develop an action plan outlining steps to get you closer to achieving those goals. This should include timelines, resources needed, and any other information necessary for tracking progress along the way so that you stayed on track and motivated toward reaching those goals. 

Being honest with yourself is vital when setting realistic goals and measuring progress toward achieving them. By acknowledging mistakes without judgment, taking responsibility, and creating an actionable plan that outlines goals and objectives, leaders can set themselves up for success in the upcoming year ahead. Honesty truly is the best policy when it comes to goal-setting – good luck!

By Dean Miles

Keywords: Business Continuity, Mental Health, Startups