In her next column for TheLatch—, career woman and CMO Michelle Battersby dives into the importance of goal setting in your career and life outside work. Formerly the APAC marketing director at Bumble and now CMO for Keep it Cleaner, Michelle knows a thing or two about setting realistic goals for the short and long term.
When we first moved to a working from home arrangement, I loved it. My work style totally suited no distractions, and I found I was able to bunker down and get through my daily tasks. While working in isolation, I found I was more productive than ever and I discovered that I am a natural introvert. I was energised and really enjoyed the solitude.
As time has passed, and lockdown, especially in Victoria, looks like it will be here for some time longer, I have noticed the distractions start to creep in. And while it’s okay to pop a load of washing on in between meetings, this small shift is productivity has taught me that goal setting is more important for me than it has ever been — both in my daily tasks and in my long-term goal planning.
When it comes to daily goals, I am a fan of mapping everything out clearly, and on paper. I use MiGoals stationery and it helps to keep me on track. Not only are their products beautiful but they are also really practical, which is why Keep It Cleaner (KIC) has brought the brand on board for our newly launched ’14 Days of Wellness’ program. As part of the program, MiGoals founder Adam Jelic will be taking the KIC community through just how important daily goal setting is for your focus.
I know lists are totally old school, but I have found this analogue practical process can actually unlock your creativity, and can do amazing things for your mental capacity.
Making sure your goals are realistic is key, and there is no point setting timings for your aspirations that are only going to make you feel demotivated. It is also critically important to be flexible and kind to yourself should you not reach the entirety of your goal within your proposed timeframe — we all work in a world where curveballs are part of our daily life, so if you don’t get through it all, that’s OK. That’s what tomorrow is for. And remember, that when you sit back and look at all your ticks having completed your tasks, there is nothing more internally satisfying.
When it comes to bigger goals, I am a fan of not looking too far ahead. Maybe it’s my time in start-ups like Bumble and now Keep It Cleaner, but I find that I get lost when gazing too far into the future. Just as you approach your daily tasks there are three key elements to mapping out your bigger life goals, too. These are:
☆ 1: Have feasible timelines. If you’re fresh out of university, don’t set yourself the goal to land a role based around titles. Things will progress as they should and all you are going to do is feel burnt out or have your confidence smashed if you set your sights on a role for the wrong reasons. I am all for ambition, but I would suggest starting with going after something that excites you and has long-term potential, rather than aiming for the top straight away.
☆ 2: Remind yourself of your goals. Write them up near your workspace, save them as a screenshot on the home screen of your phone and talk about them with your friends and colleagues. Don’t be afraid of putting yourself and what you want out there. Who knows, you might mention them to the right person, someone that ends up helping or inspiring you to get you there.
☆ 3: be flexible and kind to yourself: None of this really matters if you don’t remember to be kind to yourself with what you set out to achieve. It is so very important to be adaptable and recalibrate your goals if you need to. If there is one thing that 2020 has taught us all, it is that we don’t know what is around the corner, so being adjustable is key.
KIC is a subscription-based app and available to download in the App Store and Google Play. To be part of the Keep It Cleaner 14 Days of Wellness program head to Facebook and join the Keep It Cleaner community today — www.facebook.com/groups/keepitcleaner. You must be a subscriber of KIC to enter the community.