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The end of the year is looming. Not quite nigh, but hanging in front of us like a dark omen. It asks, have you completed all you wanted in 2022? Did you get to all your self-appointed tasks and goals? Will you be starting the coming new year in the black or the red?
Many people like to take stock of their year as the end draws nearer, and set about planning for the next year so they can hit the ground running. I’m often more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants sort of planner — I like to rough in some edges, but leave the details to happen somewhat more organically in the moment. But being able to do either/or is a handy tool for mentoring. So lets take a look at my preferred method of reflection.
SOAR stands for Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results. It is an analysis template for looking over what is working well in your business, organization, or personal life, and then delves into what you’d like to accomplish next. It was invented by Jacqueline Stavros, David Cooperrider, and D. Lynn Kelley. SOAR is generally a strategic planning tool for businesses to use, but can also be adapted for an individual or solopreneur.
It works something like this:
1. Strengths
Ask the questions: What are your greatest strengths? What is unique about you or your business? What do you do best? What value(s) do you bring to your customer? Or, as Warren Buffet might phrase it, how do you delight your customer?
2. Opportunities
Ask the questions: What are the opportunities in the current market? Is there a need for a specific service you can provide? Is there a bandwagon you can jump on? Are there new markets needing your services? What are our best opportunities for growth?
3. Aspirations
Ask the questions: What future are we working towards? What are our best opportunities for success? What does the future look like for your organization or brand? Where do you see your business or self going? What do you want to achieve?
4. Results
Ask the questions: What measurable results will show us that we have achieved that vision of the future? How can you track them? How will you know when you’ve reached your goals? What does success look like to you?
A SOAR analysis is best done in a group setting with all the team members participating and adding their ideas. If you are a team of one, you can still complete this task solo — although, looping in a close friend or colleague who understands your business well may make it a more collaborative experience and bring a fresh perspective to the table.
My hope is that this tool can work for you during your end of the year self-assessment as well. I believe focusing on the parts of the year that worked to our benefit, and looking at our positive plans for the future puts us in a healthier mindset for beginning the next year.
And of course, there are the ever present New Years Resolutions.
I personally take umbrage with resolutions that involve restrictions or negative outcomes. Rather than “I want to stop..”, I prefer “I’d like to start/change…” It is easier to redirect toward the good habit you’d like to have in your life than it is to detract from the bad habit you’d like to stop. Therefore, “I want stop having excuses for exercising” becomes, “I plan to go to the gym at least twice a week before work starting on January 5th.” Or “I want to stop getting stuck in the FB scroll in the mornings before work” might become, “Before I’m allowed to check social media updates on work days, I will read my work email for the day for at least 20 minutes starting on the first work week of the new year.”
Goals ought to be SMART (see previous blog on this topic) and SOAR is another perspective on this form of goal-setting. While you get ready for the beginning of 2023, take a look back at how 2022 hit and see what you want to do in the coming months. If you find yourself getting stuck in this process, book a free 30 minute Discovery Session with me, and together we can find a path to move things forward. After all, like I’ve said before — this is your life, this is your story, what will the next chapter look like?
