Letter from Liz - Resolution Blues: How Outcome Goals and Process Goals Can Help — Accounting & Financial Women's Alliance

Letter from Liz
Resolution Blues: How Outcome Goals and Process Goals Can Help

We are three weeks into the start of a new year and now is the time our commitment to our new year resolutions tends to fade. That makes now a great time to re-evaluate those new year resolutions and goals you were considering on January 1st and consider a new approach. This year I wrote down 13 aspirations and goals, and I soon realized I had set some great expectations for the year without a roadmap for navigating them. Perhaps you have found yourself in the same situation?

CPA leadership coach Jon Lokhorst recently presented a webinar on the two types of goals needed to be successful. Jon clearly laid out the difference between OUTCOME goals and PROCESS goals and explained how both are necessary to help us achieve our potential.

Outcome goals are quite straightforward: Read 5 books, Sleep 8 hours per night, Obtain a promotion to senior analyst, Hire a new intern. The tried and true formula for SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based) goals adds structure, but still misses the element of laying out the path to success. That is where process goals come in.

Author James Clear shares some great tips to help establish process goals, sometimes thought of as “gateway habits,” in his book, Atomic Habits. We all have decisive moments, for example, choosing to pick up a book or choosing to pick up our phone. Clear encourages starting small with the two-minute rule: “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.” Rather than thinking about a goal in terms of “workout 4 times a week,” it is simpler to focus on a setting a specific time and place to lace up your running shoes or lay out your yoga mat. Said differently, “Take the smallest action that confirms the type of person you’d like to be.”
What does this look like in practice? For me, I am going back through my list and being more prescriptive about how I plan to achieve my goals.

Here are a few examples:

Goal Theme: Personal Development
Outcome goal: I will read 1 book a month.
Process goal #1: Choose a designated space to read.
Process goal #2: Identify the given book for the month and keep it located in my designated reading space.
Process goal #3: After putting my daughter to bed, go to my designated space and read my book for at least 2 minutes.

Goal Theme: Relationships
Outcome goal: I will enjoy thriving friendships.
Process goal #1: Create a very-important- friend list.
Process goal #2: Identify a specific time each week to reach out to each friend via phone, text, or email.
Process goal #3: Set a reminder in my phone to reach out to each friend at the designated time.
Process goal #4: Follow-through with reminders by sending a short message to say hello.

Goal Theme: Business Growth
Outcome goal: I will hire an intern.
Process goal #1: Make a note every time I encounter a task with which I would like assistance.
Process goal #2: Write a job description that encompasses these tasks and describes the role, requirements, and responsibilities.
Process goal #3: Share the job posting with local colleges.
Process goal #4: Schedule interviews with qualified candidates.
Process goal #5: Select candidate, offer the job, and on-board my new intern.
Hopefully, you find these examples helpful. I know I already feel better about these three goals. Your goals may be different, yet the steps to outline your goals can be the same.
I’d love to hear from you. Once you have established your goals, how do you track your progress?

About the Author
Liz Briggson joined the AFWA Grand Rapids Board of Directors in 2019. She enjoys facilitating meaningful events and learning experiences for the CPA community. Liz is co-owner of Encoursa, an online learning company dedicated to helping CPAs grow as dynamic professionals through continuing education. Liz is also Business Development Manager with Adamy Valuation, a national business valuation and litigation services firm based out of West Michigan. You can find Liz on LinkedIn, Instagram (@thedynamiccpa), or reach her via email: liz@encoursa.com.