Well, no doubt about it… 2020’s self storage goals I created in Dec. 2019 didn’t come to pass.
In the old days, we would create one-year, five-year, & ten-year goals.
Hard to do today.
It can be challenging to set even quarterly goals now, given how fast things move and change in the world. These “external factors” have a profound impact on our businesses as well as our lives.
Who would have thought in Jan. 2020, the quote of the year would be “…you’re on mute!”
Remember, if you are not creating your future, you are just reacting to life.
So how do we handle creating our 2021 and beyond?
If I am truthful, I will say, “I don’t know.”
I will share how I am doing it.
2021 Goals
This year, I am keeping it simple.
Being a long-term student of Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits Of Successful People (I still use a 7-Habits daily planner along with my computer technology and love it), I break my life into the important areas based on the roles I play.
Some of the important areas for me are Husband, Self Storage Business Owner, Commercial Real Estate Business Owner, Spiritual Life, Physical Well-being, and so on. Try to keep it to seven roles or areas (or less).
Then this year, I am going to have only three goals or less in each area.
Looking back on 2020, I see all types of goals for the year and visions of where I would be at the end of the year that didn’t materialize.
Even though I know this doesn’t mean anything about me, it is a drag on my energy to see all the unfulfilled goals.
It takes time and energy to release all this. Time and energy I can better use in other areas of my life.
So, in 2021 I am going to keep it simple. Three or less, with emphasis on less, in the key roles and areas.
What Is A Goal?
A goal for me is a specific, measurable outcome in time.
A Weak Goal: “I am going to grow my self storage business in 2021.”
A Better Goal: “ I am going to put three new self storage projects into service by
December 31, 2021.”
Then, mentally stand in December 21, 2021, and work backward.
- I will have closed on my third facility.
- I had at least a 60-day period between contract and closing, so I need to have my last contract in place by Oct. 15, 2021.
- It takes a month for LOI and negotiations, so I need to have found the facility and write the LOI by Sept. 15, 2021
And so forth.
Create benchmarks, then put them in your calendar.
Know you most likely will not hit all of them on time, but that is OK. It is empowering to know you are ahead or behind. If you know where you are, you can catch up in most cases.
And rule number one, if you don’t hit a goal, that means you didn’t hit a goal. It does not mean anything about you.
It may mean you have some personal work to do, but the reality is we all do.
Before I take on anything new and challenging, my training is to work on myself first, then tackle the world.
I budget money and time each year for personal development and professional development. Personal development to me is more important.
Extra Points
If you want to earn extra points, and increase the odds of a successful year, here are some pro tips.
- Don’t just write the goals in December or January, then put them up. Keep them alive and present in your life all through the year.
- Monthly, or quarterly, see where you are against your benchmarks.
- In a morning routines you create for yourself, take some time each day to put yourself in December 31 and feel what it feels like to have achieved your goals.
- Creating emotional energy does more for some reason to align the Universe or align us to draw the people, places, and situations into our lives needed to achieve the goals.
- Don’t do what I do a lot, just focus on business goals. Create goals in all important areas and treat them equally important (or vice versa if that is your inclination).
Beyond 2021
It is really hard to create “goals” too far into the future these days, in my opinion.
I have also learned the hard truth that we often overestimate what we can do in a year but underestimate what we can do in a decade.
I am finding it is becoming more empowering to be slightly less specific about five-year and ten-year goals.
This year, I am creating more of a “vision” for myself and my life far into the future.
It might look more like a company that runs itself without the requirement for my daily input. I have replaced myself.
The company owns over $100 million in assets (or whatever your goal maybe).
I am creating more of a vision and a feel for what my life will be then rather than specific numbers and dates.
This way, I can still be putting energy towards creating my future instead of just letting it happen. Nevertheless, this process occurs more as I align with the Universe today than pushing against it with specific goals and numbers.
It may sound contradictory to use specific goals, dates, and numbers for one year, and not for further out, but for me, it works.
I share it as one possibility, not the only way.
Whatever you do, create a powerful and wonderful 2021 regardless of the news, what’s going on in the world, and how the vast majority of people are behaving and being.
You are a different bread of people. You are in or getting in self storage. You are creating a life and future for yourself and your family.
See you in 2021.
