“The objective is what I want to have accomplished. The key results are how I’m going to get it done. The objectives are typically longer lived. They’re bold and aspirational. The key results are aggressive, but always measurable, time-bound, and limited in number.”

<ul><li>Put considered thought into crafting the best personal OKRs and you hold yourself accountable to them.</li><li>Post the OKRs where you’ll see them very regularly. </li><li>Add weekly calendar reminders to track your progress.</li></ul>

Make Your Personal OKRs Visible

<div> If you've read any of my past blog posts, you've probably come across the acronym OKR. It stands for Objective and Key Results. First developed by managing-legend Andy Grove at Intel, the goal-setting approach was massively popularized by <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Doerr'>John Doerr</a> and Google. Want to learn more about OKRs? Here is a great Ted talk from John: Also, I'd highly recommend John's book <a href='https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525536221/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0525536221&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=gotechyours0f-20&amp;linkId=d96b91e1e93e7b5b3ddb84f05abcfd3b'>'Measure What Matters.'</a> It was my favorite read in 2018. <h3>Set Personal OKRs, Not Resolutions</h3> But this post isn't about business OKRs, it's about personal ones. <figure><img src='https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*MA1bYKjI1ej2mMURsibEhg.jpeg'> </figure> It's that time of year when people set 'resolutions' to hopefully make (often) dramatic personal or professional changes in their life. Why are so many of these resolutions unsuccessful? The answer is simple. It's because these resolutions are flimsy, aren't tied to any metrics, and aren't reviewed regularly. <h4>Here are just a few of the most popular New Year's Resolutions:</h4> <ol> <li>Eat Healthier (37%)</li> <li>Get More Exercise (37%)</li> <li>Save More Money (37%)</li> <li>Focus on Self-Care (ex. More Sleep) (24%)</li> <li>Read More (18%)</li> </ol> <blockquote>Source: <a href='https://www.statista.com/chart/12386/the-most-common-new-years-resolutions-for-2018/'>https://www.statista.com/chart/12386/the-most-common-new-years-resolutions-for-2018/</a> </blockquote> <h4>The Results of These Resolutions?</h4> 80% fail by February! <figure><img src='https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*KruDl3ONh8_h0c6CPpD29w.jpeg'> </figure> <blockquote>Source: <a href='https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-mentality/201812/why-new-years-resolutions-fail'>https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-mentality/201812/why-new-years-resolutions-fail</a> </blockquote> <h3>Let's Upgrade a Resolution to an OKR!</h3> Don't worry, creating a personal OKR from a resolution isn't too hard. Here's a quick example of how we can upgrade one of the popular resolutions. <blockquote>Before: Eat Healthier</blockquote> After, using an OKR approach: Objective: Improve my quality of life and life expectancy by upgrading my diet substantially Key Result 1: Eat at restaurants fewer than 2 times per week Key Result 2: Pack lunch for work 4 out of 5 days per week Key Result 3: Weigh myself every day and put results in a Google spread sheet Key Result 4: Lower blood pressure to <a href='http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Thebasics/Bloodpressurechart'>'normal' range </a>by 12/1/19 <figure><img src='https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*TMj3E4To75tBSdttiFsd7w.jpeg'> </figure> <h3>Breaking Down the OKR Approach</h3> So how do you craft the perfect Objective and Key Results? <figure><img src='https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*TEh5Qz9VbKSeTZqpVTKVsg.jpeg'> </figure> Let's get it straight from John Doerr: <blockquote>'The objective is what I want to have accomplished. The key results are how I'm going to get it done. The objectives are typically longer lived. They're bold and aspirational. The key results are aggressive, but always measurable, time-bound, and limited in number.'</blockquote> Time-bound. Measurable. Limited. How many of your past resolutions included all three of these qualifications? I'm guessing not many at all. </div>

If you've read any of my past blog posts, you've probably come across the acronym OKR. It stands for Objective and Key Results. First developed by managing-legend Andy Grove at Intel, the goal-setting approach was massively popularized by John Doerr and Google. Want to learn more about OKRs?

Don't Set Resolutions. Set Personal OKRs.

JOHN DOERR - INVESTOR

Make Your Personal OKRs Visible

Kevin W.'s ideas are part of this journey:

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