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Writer's picturecarolinedotts

How to Set Strengths-Based Targets for 2024




It’s January 24th - exactly 12 days past “national quitters day”, a day named for the large percentage of people who have, by the second Friday of January, most likely abandoned their New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe you are wincing a little as you read this, timidly raising your hand to join the other 80% of folks believed to give up only 12 days into the new year. Read that percentage again and feel good about not being alone! 


But what if we didn’t set resolutions in the first place? What if we reframed our language and our approach to map out targets instead? I wrote recently about targets in an earlier post this month (read it here) and why I’m setting them instead of resolutions, but I wanted to go a step further and offer a bit of framework around how I’m setting them this year.  


"What if we were able to set targets for this year that not only helped us grow, but also invested in our unique talents - the way we think, feel, and behave?"

When I became a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach in 2017, I took my basic knowledge and love for the assessment tool to a much deeper, nerdier level. I immersed myself in the language of strengths and began teaching this language to others at Georgia Tech, where I worked from 2015 to 2021. Alongside other Gallup coaches at Tech (shoutout to the Effective Team Dynamics crew and Dr. Mary Lynn Realff), I worked with groups of all sizes to shift the narrative of “what’s wrong?” with my team/coworker/department to “what’s right?” with them. By focusing on the individual strengths of each member and the collective strengths of the team, we were able to use the CliftonStrengths language to articulate the brilliance of each and every team member. 


Now in my own coaching business, I use this same framework and “what’s right?” approach with all of my clients. Which brings me back to targets. What if we were able to set targets for this year that not only helped us grow, but also invested in our unique talents - the way we think, feel, and behave? In other words, can we create targets that are in tune with our innate awesomeness, capitalizing on what comes most naturally to us as we grow towards a new habit, mindset, or goal? Yes, I think we can. And, because I’m a visual learner (aka I need to see it to understand it), I created a worksheet to help map it all out. 


What’s the catch, you ask? Are you really giving out a free worksheet? Yup. Sure am. No catch, no gimmicks, no sales pitch. You can download it here, for free. But I have to know my CliftonStrengths, right? Well, yes, it helps! That was the inspiration behind creating this particular worksheet, so you would have a rich language to pull from as you articulate your targets for this year or season of your life. 


If you don't know your CliftonStrenths and are curious about them, you don’t even have to go through a coach to take the assessment; you can explore the different reports here or here to decide if taking the assessment is right for you. And, spoiler alert: even if you decide not to take the assessment, you can still use this worksheet to help you map out your targets or at the very least identify an accountability partner who will encourage you to stay focused on your growth this year.


I’d love to know if you download the worksheet and use it - send me an email, a DM, or drop me a note in the comments! I’ll talk about strengths and targets and your unique awesomeness all day. It’s why my coaching practice is based on this “what’s right” framework. And, as someone with Positivity and Communication in my Top 5, I’m ALWAYS up for a strengths story swap. Let’s geek out, together! 


One last thing…in case you do want to dive a little deeper and invest in yourself and/or your team in a more intentional way, let’s chat. I’ve got monthly CliftonStrengths 101 open-seating workshops you can attend, coaching packages you can explore, and custom workshops we can design together to fit your team’s needs. (Yes, this is the sales pitch part. I wouldn’t be a true WOO without some sort of mention that I do this for a living! :)  


National Quitters Day doesn’t have to be one of the holidays you observe (unlike National Ice Cream Day, which we take very seriously around here). Reframe your resolutions into targets and set your feet towards those markers. Articulate the strengths you are bringing to the table. Identify milestones to help you keep moving forward. Set up an Accountability Partner to equal parts cheer you on and kick you in the rear to keep going. As my favorite Peloton instructor Robin Arzon likes to remind us: “Forward is a pace.” Even if you fall short of your original targets, you are still growing in the right direction; and I’ll be here, rooting for you every step of the way! 


Who is your Accountability Partner for this year's targets?

 

Cheers to your unique awesomeness, friends!


Caroline

Positivity | WOO | Communication | Includer | Activator |

Maximizer | Input | Strategic | Developer | Arranger

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