It's January, so of course, everyone is focused on goal-setting for the year to come.

As you plan your goals out, consider a few things:

• Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)
• Be realistic - lofty goals are fine, but know how you're going to get there
• Communicate your goal(s) clearly to yourself and others
• Check in often and reflect on how the goal is going - make changes if necessary

Going in with a plan helps breed success. Understanding that failure is sometimes part of a goal creates consistency in showing up. Being clear and reflective with yourself allows room for adjustments or getting back on track.

Some people can captivate an audience when they speak. Others, the audience walks away while they're still speaking.

Many factors can influence this, but one key determinant of audience engagement is the speaker's ability to stay on message.

Being clear and concise is a skill. It's important to understand:

1. Why it can be so difficult to accomplish
2. Understanding what your audience wants or needs
3. Knowing what point you're trying to make
4. The ability to practice purposefully

In this episode, you'll hear how you can approach the coming holidays with clear, concise, and on-message conversations.

This month, we're exploring the 'empty boat' mindset parable and how it relates to effective communication and relationship building.

The parable basically states that if an empty boat runs into yours, you navigate around it. But if someone is in that boat, you tend to react negatively, even though the same situation occurred.

We discuss the importance of:

1. Separating intent from impact
2. Responding not reacting
3. Assuming positive (or neutral) intent
4. Focusing on understanding vs. placing blame
5. Creating safety so relationships can thrive

Approaching interactions as if they are "empty boats" allows you to have more control over your reactions and emotions.