Brandon W. Jones

Recently, I’ve had a much harder time posting blogs and keeping up-to-date on social media.  For those of you that wondered what happened, I just finished the Master’s in Business Administration program at the University of Nevada – Reno.  The last month of class and finals was very intense and required all my efforts.  Now that I am completely done, I should have more time to blog.

One leadership topic that comes up all the time is the importance of setting and accomplishing goals.  Goals are very important because they give us direction in life.  They set us on a path that leads to future accomplishments.  As a part of setting goals, one aspect rarely discussed is what to do upon completion of the particular goal.  After you accomplish a major goal, you may experience a let-down period.  After working hard for a long time, you may wonder what to do with yourself.  Once you complete a goal, there are three things you can do to move forward. 

First, Enjoy the Moment.  Once you have completed your goal, take some time to enjoy the accomplishment.  Thank those who helped you reach your goal and recognize the sacrifices they made on your behalf.  Take some time to celebrate.  If it is a major goal, have a party to spend time with those who made it possible.  For the smaller goals, give yourself some type of a reward for all your hard work.

Second, Reflect on Your Path.  When you reflect on your path, review the steps you took to reach the goal.  Reflect on what you learned through the entire process.  Look at what you did successfully and what you could do better in the future.  Also, identify how you can put what you have learned into practice so you retain the newly acquired knowledge.  By reflecting on your path, you will learn more deeply from the experience of accomplishing the goal.

Third, Set a New Goal.  Once you have completed your present goal, look forward and set a new goal.  If you linger too long on your past goal, it hinders your future progress.  Set a new goal and move forward.  The new goal can be related to the recently accomplished goal or something completely unrelated.  The new goal will help you focus your energy going forward, so you are not stuck in limbo.  I have seen people that when they accomplish a major career goal they set a new goal focused on time with their family.

As you accomplish a goal, follow the above mentioned steps and you will find more joy with each milestone you reach.