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One of the things I find boring are routines, especially when most people do it. First you are excited to begin, then you get a hold of the routine, and just when you tick the milestone box in your mind, the zest disappears. You gradually start to skip times, days, weeks, months and eventually dump the routine for ever.
Do you find yourself dumping routines forever, spontaneously? I do, and I bet a lot of people do too. Why should we talk about smart objectives for 2025 if they will end up in the mental bin? Maybe people do that to catch on trends, pose responsible, or achieve better milestones.
By the end of this article, you will decide if there is need to set objectives for this year, ditch the ones you already have, or follow through regardless of the hurdles.
Why set objectives?
Some days we wake up sure of what we want and the pathway, other days we want the comfort of the sheets till our backs are sore and a knight in shining armour fights the battles our enterprise wages against us or even better a genie grants our wish. ‘Tis because we want to birth something, we want to be remembered as women who strived in our industry, most of all we want to leave a part of us here—as ‘Matriarchs’ after we are gone; and we subtly know that the path to these eternal legacies is in the footsteps we take today.
Miracles happen, little efforts seem to produce tremendous returns, and hard work seem to yield nearly nothing that meets our expectations, sometimes. However, I am a firm believer of cause and effect, so I do not think that things just happen; plus, the factors we can/cannot fully control after our PESTLE and SWOT analysis.
I think objectives are set for three reasons.
The Past:
Everyone has a story—of origin, identity, struggles, achievements, failures, and comfort zone. We are familiar with talking about yesterday in today, and the experiences leave different effects on people. Some want to tell it as it is, others want to change the story, while some will rather be dumb than speak of yesterday. Whatever category yours can be, these experiences are subtle alarms that urge us to plan and be better, giving them any positive attention spurs us into magnificent altitudes. Such planning begins with introspect, questions like—Why did I begin? How did I lose/gain this much? Where was this industry before my arrival?
The Present:
How we intend to tell our stories determine whether our target audience will come around. The paradox is that we have today to talk about yesterday, write about today, and plan for tomorrow. Which means that the present gives us another opportunity to build upon existing narratives and/or create new narratives. Either way, it calls on us to be the playwright and director of our story. Ask yourself what you should do today to make up for lost times, how you can stay afloat and not slip down the curve, ask yourself what your business needs to thrive today and how you can achieve it. Remember this: “Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare today.”
The Future:
We may blame people for our past, lose our present to immediate gratifications, but if we dilly dally on our future, it will someday become a past that will haunt us with blames. Think about your finances, projects, goals, and do not through your dreams under the bus for today’s gratification
Conclusion
New year resolutions and setting goals may sound cliché but what truly is, will be dumping them in mental bin and moving on like they never existed. Seeing how our past, present, and future are interconnected, a major asset is what we do with ‘time’ not necessarily the duration. Setting and executing objectives help us utilise this asset. The steps are simple—think why, what, how, and when.
Here’s an elaborate guide: think of why you started your enterprise, what other elements can help you thrive in the industry, think about how to build meaningful partnerships, how to leverage available resources, and when you must do them (the key is in acting). That way, you do not just set objectives for your business, but you have reasons to execute them. Today, I want you to remember where you were (your past), where you are (your present), where you can be (your future), then think, plan, and execute punctually.
2025 just got started and I cannot wait to read your story in our spotlight!
Written by: Odilichukwu Frances Jombo
