Re-Evaluate Your Goals

// On Monday, I experienced the hustle and bustle of the start of a new school year. With pride, I sent off my third-grader and first-grader to elementary school. This may not be the case where you live, but for those of you who will or who have experienced this season of life, this is a wonderful time to reflect on how your year is going.

Now that my kids are done with another summer of camps, lessons, splash pads, and vacation, I am adjusting to a new level of quiet during the day. While early mornings continue to be hectic with teeth brushing, checking backpacks for assignments, and packing snacks and water bottles, I do get some reprieve before starting my workday.

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In January, I mentioned that I am no longer going to be an overplanner who sets ridiculous, unachievable goals. I have done that in the past and at the end of the year, due to the vast volume of things that I am trying to achieve, I end up not being able to achieve very much. So, this year I did something a little bit different and started with one goal. That goal was to complete a half marathon in April 2022. And, I did that. The next part is revolutionary because even when I completed my goal, I didn’t burden myself with another goal after that.

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However, after this new school year began, I decided to once again revisit my goal-setting roots. My first unofficial goal was to return to planning. I know, that it might sound weird for an estate planner to say that she’s returning to planning. What I mean is, that I want to return to a sustainable level of planning. This new school year allows me to figure out not only where my kids need to be, but some things that I would like to do.

I added one official professional goal, and that is to better counsel my clients. This means I want to spend some time focused on what improved client services look like. I not only want to make the sale or deliver the deliverable but have a deeper understanding of what clients find important and need. How? I will read books about advising, learn from thought leaders who have come before me, communicate with past clients, and become more specialized. That’s what I want to do with the rest of my year. I also have a couple of personal goals that I hold lightly (sprint triathlon and hiking), but I’m not committing to any goal-setting metrics just yet.

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Have you ever had this kind of shift in how you goal set? Or how do you plan your year? I believe shifts are necessary, or we end up on a loop, constantly doing the same thing over and over and over again. (Can you tell that I am I just finished the incredible Season 4 of Westworld? Give it a chance after a disastrous Season 3.) Share your comments on goal setting at [email protected].

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Iffy Ibekwe is an estate planning attorney and evangelist for intergenerational wealth transfer with effective wills and trusts. Iffy is a prolific speaker and she is writing her first book on culturally competent estate planning, available in 2024 (prayers up!). She graduated from The University of Texas School of Law and has practiced law for over 16 years. Iffy can be reached by email at [email protected], on her website, and on Instagram at @iffyibekweesq.

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Goals, Ifeoma “Iffy” Ibekwe, Iffy Ibekwe, Planning, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners