YOUR COACH FOR
STRATEGIC PLANNING, LEADERSHIP, AND MANAGEMENT
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CENTER
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Peter GIlliam, MD
"Dorian helped me to get clarity on what I valued and develop
ASHLAND, VA – In a business landscape where burnout is prevalent and workplace purpose can feel elusive, Your Path Coaching and Consulting is proud to announce a strategic partnership with CMdA Consulting to bring a high-impact professional development experience to Hanover County.
The upcoming workshop, "Finding Fulfillment at Work in 2026," will take place on December 8 at 2:00 PM at the Dominion Energy Innovation Center in Downtown Ashland. This exclusive session is designed for business owners and professionals seeking to master prioritization, practical goal-setting, and resilience.
Moving Beyond Standard Goal-Setting
Traditional business planning often focuses solely on metrics and checklists. However, this workshop introduces a human-centered approach that integrates mental fitness with strategic execution.
"We are moving beyond will-power and providing practice skills to help business owners achieve more fulfillment," says Dorian Cunion, Executive Coach at Your Path Coaching and Consulting. "To achieve more fulfillment, you need the combination of a solid strategy, and the right mindset to achieve your goals."
A Framework to Find Fulfillment
Attendees will gain access to three models designed to create lasting change:
The Power6 Leader Framework: Designed to help business owners build the six skills they need to be an effective leader.
The Co-Active Model: a framework for helping leaders define what they want to do, and overcome sabotaging thoughts.
A Hybrid Goal Architecture: Weaves the ambition of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) with the precision of SMART criteria.
Local Leadership and Proven Impact
The workshop is co-led by Executive Strategist Dorian Cunion and Employee ActivatorCristina Martinez de Andino of CMdA Consulting.
The impact of Your Path Coaching and Consulting is already felt in the local community. Antonio Miller, Executive Director of the Downtown Ashland Association, credits his own professional growth to this coaching.
"Everyone in the daily grind should feel fulfilled in their work," says Miller. "When I became Executive Director, I worked one-on-one with Dorian Cunion until I was ready to run. Bringing both Dorian and Cristina to Ashland is one more way we’re (Downtown Ashland Association) helping the Center of the Universe—and beyond—find joy in their work."
Event Details and Registration
This is an intimate event with only 10 seats available, ensuring personalized attention and an engaging workshop experience.
Event: Finding Fulfillment at Work in 2026
Date: December 8
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Dominion Energy Innovation Center, 201 Duncan St, Ashland, VA
Cost: $69
Business owners ready to step into 2026 with a clear blueprint aligning their goals with their values are encouraged to register immediately.
At Your Path Coaching and Consulting, we empower individuals and organizations to reach their full potential. We provide personalized coaching and consulting services tailored to your unique needs and goals.
Our Mission: To inspire and empower individuals and organizations to create positive change and achieve sustainable success.
Nearly every teacher, coach, therapist, consultant, and boss emphasizes the importance of setting goals. Goal setting is preached because it is effective.Research shows that setting goals can improve performance, focus, motivation, self-determination, collaboration and well-being. Despite over 70 years of research on the efficacy of goal setting, nearly everyone you know has goals that they are not reaching.
This is not because they lack goals. Everyone has goals. One of the primary reasons people struggle to achieve their goals is that they lack proficiency in the goal-setting process. Throughout this article, I will review the SMART goal-setting process and offer suggestions on how to utilize it more effectively to achieve your professional and business objectives.
The SMART goals setting process was introduced to the world in 1981 by Dr. George Doran. He was a consultant and former director of corporate planning for Washington Water Power Company, and published a paper called “There’s a SMART way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives. In his paper, he proposed that taking the time to define your goals in a specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound manner could increase goal achievement. Over the years, colleges, universities, and corporate trainers have taught SMART as a goal-setting process.
Learn more about SMART Goals.
Why are SMART goals effective?
The SMART goal process is effective when used correctly because it encourages individuals to slow down, think critically, and establish realistic goals and plans for achieving their objectives. People commonly fail to achieve their goals because their goals are unclear, they lack a way to measure progress, the steps required to achieve their goals are undefined, they fail to connect with the goal on an emotional level, or they do not have a clear timeline for completing their goals. The SMART goal-setting process requires you to identify and map out all common obstacles to achieving your goals, and then design a strategy for navigating those challenges.
Try this job aid for setting SMART Goals.
What to do when you are not achieving your goals.
The Co-Active Coaching model teaches that achieving your goals requires a combination of doing and being. Doing is all about defining the actions that you plan to take. Being is all about how you will show up when completing those tasks. For example, I frequently work with business owners who aim to increase social media engagement. They set specific goals, establish measurable targets, design action steps, connect with the purpose of being on social media, and develop time-bound objectives, yet still do not achieve their desired outcome. Typically, when we explore why they are not successful, we uncover that they both lack the necessary skills and mindset to achieve their goals. The problem is not the goal-setting process. The problem is that they lack a clear understanding of who they are and what it takes to be successful. The solution is acquiring the skills and mindset you need to be successful.
The path forward
Understanding your constraints is the first step in overcoming the obstacles that are preventing you from achieving your goals. We all have weaknesses and shortcomings. Some of those weaknesses and shortcomings are due to a lack of knowledge, skill, and experience. Others are linked to our personality and preferences. Getting in touch with who you are can help you pursue the right goals and design effective strategies to help you thrive. Within the business world, companies use a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) to understand their current situation better, enabling them to select objectives and goals that align with their capabilities and the world around them. SWOT analysis can also be completed at the personal level, providing the same benefits of clarifying what your objectives and goals should be.
Research and commit to action
Goal setting is very similar to roadmapping. When you go on a road trip, you know where you are. You type into the GPS where you want to go, pick a route, and head out to your destination. Sometimes you stay on the path that is laid out for you. Sometimes you get redirected, but if you follow the instructions provided by the GPS, you will eventually end up at your destination. In a perfect world, there would be a GPS for achieving your professional goals. You could type in information about yourself, state your goal, and a path would be given to you. One day, AI may improve to the point of providing reliable growth paths, but for now, we need to chart our own path, much like our parents once had to read a paper map when they wanted to go on a road trip. The good news is that there are people who have achieved the goals that you have, and if you do research, you can replicate the success of others, provided that you are willing to make similar tradeoffs and sacrifices.
Seek help when change is hard.
Our biggest limitation as humans is that we can only see the world from our own perspective. We live our lives, forming beliefs and assumptions about who we are and the world around us. Those beliefs and assumptions serve who we are now, but can be obstacles in our becoming who we desire to be. An example of this is a person who has had a heart attack, but continues to eat an unhealthy diet. Despite their desire to live, their beliefs and assumptions influence their habits, and their habits keep them stuck doing the behaviors that cause them cardiac disease in the first place. In this situation, the problem is not a lack of goals, but a lack of SMART goals. The antidote for limited perspective is knowledge. Knowledge can be found in many ways. It can be found through books, movies, podcasts, articles, workshops, seminars, or working with an expert. If you feel stuck and are unsure why you are not making the progress you desire, seek knowledge and be willing to solicit help in achieving your goal.
About Your Path Coaching and Consulting
Ready to take your leadership or organization to the next level? Your Path Coaching and Consulting empowers individuals and organizations to reach their full potential through personalized coaching and consulting services. We specialize in Executive Coaching for leadership development, team building, and communication skills, as well as Business Consulting for strategic planning and organizational development. Our mission is to inspire and empower you to create positive change and achieve sustainable success.
Connect with us: Schedule afree consultation today to discuss your goals, or visit our website to learn more about our holistic approach to personal and professional achievement. Follow us on LinkedIn for insights and updates.
SMART Goals Frequently Asked Questions
What are SMART goals, and why do they matter in business?
SMART goals are:
Specific: Clearly defined and focused.
Measurable: Quantifiable to track progress.
Achievable: Realistic given resources and constraints.
Relevant: Aligned with broader business or personal objectives.
Time-bound: Set within a defined timeframe.
They matter because they transform vague intentions into actionable strategies, improving performance, motivation, and accountability.
Why do professionals often fail to achieve their goals—even when they use SMART?
Common pitfalls include:
Lack of emotional connection to the goal.
Undefined action steps or unclear measurement criteria.
Misalignment between the goal and personal strengths or values.
Absence of the right mindset or skills to execute effectively.
How can I make my SMART goals more effective?
Pair goal-setting with self-awareness: Use tools like SWOT analysis to assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Clarify both the “doing” (actions) and the “being” (mindset) required to succeed.
Connect goals to a deeper purpose to sustain motivation.
Break goals into micro-steps with checkpoints for reflection and adjustment.
What should I do if I’m not achieving my SMART goals?
Revisit the relevance and achievability of your goal.
Assess whether you’ve developed the necessary skills and mindset.
Seek feedback or coaching to uncover blind spots.
Utilize the Co-Active Coaching model to strike a balance between execution and personal growth.
How can I utilize a SWOT analysis to enhance my SMART goals?
Conduct a personal SWOT to:
Align goals with your strengths.
Anticipate and mitigate weaknesses.
Leverage external opportunities.
Prepare for potential threats or constraints.
This ensures your goals are not just SMART—but also strategic and self-aware.
When should I seek help with goal-setting?
If you feel stuck, lack clarity, or repeatedly fall short of your objectives, it’s time to:
Consult a coach or mentor.
Join a workshop or mastermind group.
Explore educational resources, such as podcasts, articles, or seminars.
Sometimes, the missing piece is perspective—and that’s where outside support can be transformative.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Feel free to email executive coach Dorian Cunion at dcunion@yourpathexecutivesolutions.com. If you are interested in seeing additional content related to leadership and business, follow me on
