Dear Monsters,

In the tumultuous landscape of today’s world, filled with financial crises, uncertainty, and societal pressures, it’s undeniable that monsters like us face unique challenges. The Deloitte 2022 Millennial and Gen Z study paints a stark picture: 46% of Gen Z and 38% of millennials are stressed all or most of the time. The stressors? Financial futures, day-to-day finances, family health, and mental well-being. But here’s the twist—the very act of goal-setting, a seemingly empowering endeavour that occurs at the beginning of each year, often becomes a breeding ground for stress and anxiety. I have been a victim of this myself, dear Monsters.

The Weight of Goals:

It’s essential to acknowledge that setting goals, while crucial for personal and professional growth, can also be a source of immense stress and insecurity. The pressure to achieve, the fear of failure, and the constant comparison to societal standards can cast a heavy shadow on the goal-setting journey. So, fellow monsters, let’s explore how we can embrace our aspirations for 2024 without letting the stress demons take over our smart heads.

The Vision Board Dilemma:

I leaned this lesson over a decade ago, at the back of her majesty, my vision board. As any other vision board, it was filled with aspirations of grandeur: a house in California, a Swiss Alps retreat, a rooftop balcony in New York, and more. If you want to learn more about the bizarre proportions of my vision board, write about this more extensively in my book, Dear Monsters. My goals reflected the mainstream definition of success, a narrative that equates it with money and power. But as I gazed at this collage of desires, my stark reality sets in. The life on the board was a far cry from the current reality—no fancy house, no relationship, and a glaring gap between aspirations and actualities. When was I ever going to turn into a goal-getter with an extensive real estate portfolio, multiple streams of passive income and an art collection that would make your head spin?

The Wake-Up Call:

Don’t get me wrong, Monsters. Goals are pivotal to your success. New Age Leaders challenge themselves constantly to do better and to grow. And while setting long-term goals that are huge is important to keep you in visionary mode, don’t forget to set some short to mid-term goals for yourself. Why is this so important? Well I can tell you from personal experience. Staring at my vision board at the age of 28, was like looking at my desired chapter 20, while stuck in chapter 3. I didn’t have a plan on how to get to my end goal and it felt unsettling. This brings me to the New Age Leadership wisdom I have to share with you today, dear Monsters. Life goals are great, but let’s start with the small steps first. Let’s set the right yearly goals. For your annual checklist, be realistic in what can fit into the next 12 months. Apart from achieving success and ticking off items from your bucket list, try to add goals that will help you become more focused, kinder and more resilient as a person. I like Arianna Huffington’s concept of the Third Metric, that she presents in her bestselling book Thrive. There, she speaks of well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving.

Short-term vs. Mid-term Goals

Monsters, like you and me, must redefine success to include the pillars for a truly fulfilling life. Another word of caution would be not to mix up your short-term goals with your mid-term goals. A few years ago, I set up goals that were impossible to achieve in a year. I bet it is no surprise that this made me feel incredibly frustrated. That was the part when most people would abandon their goals and go back to their old ways. In my case, I decided to re-shift my attention to smaller, more achievable goals I could control. Still, I kept the long list of seemingly unachievable goals on my phone. And you know what? I still keep ticking off items from there. I realised that those goals are just as inspiring and effective, but only if they are part of the mid-term goals. They are achievable somewhere between eighteen months and three years of the date they were set.

Setting Effective Goals for 2024:

So now, let’s cut to the chase. How can we set goals that will help us get one step closer to the endgame? And even more importantly, how can we set goals that will help us feel good about ourselves, instead of fuelling frustration and resentment? Here is my formula, dear Monsters:

•                Prioritize Well-Being: Make well-being a cornerstone of your goals. This involves adequate sleep, regular exercise, and mindful nutrition. Remember, regardless of what your true passion in life is, leadership success is a holistic pursuit.
•                Embrace Learning: Balance work with personal time, hobbies, and social connections that will help you learn new skills and turn you into a better leader. I have a recurring yearly goal to read at least one book a month. This is probably my most favourite goal. It is easy to achieve and is also helping me to excel in other parts of my life too. 
•                Define Your Version of Success: Challenge societal norms and establish your unique definition of success. Consider the Third Metric—well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving—as integral components in your goal setting journey. Will that high-ticket purchase make you happier? Will the next promotion bring you closer to your long-term goals, or derail you from reaching your full potential? Be candid. 
•                Set Realistic Goals: Break down big aspirations into manageable steps, ensuring a healthier and sustainable journey. If your long term goal is to become CEO, how about seeking out a C-suite mentor that can guide you through the process? If your goal is to become a published author, how about setting a goal to write one page a day for the rest of the year? Start small while thinking big. 
•                Practice Self-Reflection: Regularly assess your progress and well-being. Are your goals enhancing your life, or are they causing undue stress? Adjustments may be necessary, and that’s perfectly okay. Putting some goals on your mid-term list is an easy way to make yourself feel like you are in charge of your life. Never forget that self-awareness is the secret ingredient to successful leadership.

As monsters worldwide are navigating the complexities of our world, let’s not fall victim to outdated notions of success. Instead, let’s set goals for 2024 that reflect our true desires—ones that promote well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving. In the end, it’s not about keeping up with societal expectations; it’s about creating a life that resonates with our monster souls.

Cheers to a transformative 2024, my dears!

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash