Using Objectives to Make Impact

Are you considering taking on new challenges or seeking growth on a personal or professional level in 2023? Many people look to the beginning of the year as a time to name their intentions for the year. Setting objectives to meet these intentions that inspire and stretch you can set you on a path for growth in 2023. One of the freeing things about setting objectives rather than goals is objectives can be expansive, whereas goals can be limiting. While a goal is time-dependent and has a clear metric that measures success or failure, objectives are focused on actions with intended positive consequences.

One example of this may pertain to professional development.  Your goal may be to read 10 books on leadership development in 2023. Your objective may be to continue to grow as a leader by actively seeking out books, articles, podcasts, and people who can positively influence your professional development. There is space to shift, stumble, sprint, and continue to stride forward within an objective.

Here are a few tactics to support your work on your objectives:

• Give your objectives time before starting: The excitement of starting can hit the wall of reality; many intentions can fail after just a couple of weeks. Write objectives that inspire you and then walk away from them for enough time for the initial rush of excitement to subside. Come back to them and pick the ones that still excite you.
• It is okay to shift your tactics: If you initially planned to read more books in a year and then find another process more fruitful, do it! Keeping your focus on your objective and why it matters to you will help you to maintain your energy for the work at hand.
• Give yourself grace: You can grow weary and distracted, or life can just happen, and not maintain the schedule you initially set for yourself. If you get off track, give yourself grace, and when you are able to, refocus. Your objective is still there to be worked on and to bear fruit.

Objectives can lead to growth in any person, team, or organization. Use them to challenge yourself and become more of whom God created you to be. Take the time to celebrate what you learn and how you grow both professionally and personally. The paths you take can lead to having a greater impact than you previously imagined. What objectives do you have planned for 2023? Leave a comment and let us know!