5 Ways to Set and Focus on Goals as a Meeting Planner

As you set your personal goals for the new year, don't forget to include your professional goals for meeting success! Not sure where to start? Here are my top five tips, plus a helpful exercise, for not only creating your personal and professional goals, but sticking to them. 

Figure out what motivates you

Think back to what you wanted to be when you were a kid. From the age of six, I was certain I wanted to be a flight attendant when I grew up. After I found myself working in the hospitality industry, I realized my motivation had always been to work with people in a public capacity. I may not have ended up being a flight attendant, but I still ended up right where I wanted to be. 

Considering what motivates you will help you figure out what goals to prioritize. What can you do to be in that motivated state? The answer to that question is a good place to start to establish a few goals for the year.

Once you have a few goals in mind, it's time to...

Make sure your goals are S.M.A.R.T.

SMART goals are: Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. If your goals are vague, unattainable, or confusing, you're less likely to accomplish them. 

Write it down

Hold yourself accountable by writing down your SMART goals. Ideally, after you write them down, put them in a place you'll see them frequently. Keep reading for a specific exercise to help with this!

Create an action plan

How will you achieve the goals you've set? After you have a clear idea of what your goals are, it's time to come up with an action plan. Jot down or brainstorm some specific steps you can take to move you in the right direction. 

Stick with it!

Need help sticking with your goals? Try this activity to write down, categorize, and visualize them. Take a sheet of paper and write down the goals you've come up with in two categories: personal goals and professional goals. Leave space in the middle for goals that fall into both categories. Lastly, place it somewhere you'll see it regularly, and cross off your goals as you reach them!

You can reference my example above to get started. For me, doing this exercise brought clarity and purpose both personally and in my workplace. And seeing which goals overlapped in these categories provided me with extra motivation to accomplish them. 

Here's a bonus tip for your action plan: utilize our services at Choose Lansing to make your meetings a success and meet your professional goals in 2024!