It's that time of year when we all
begin to ponder about the coming New Year and goal-setting. Let's start all over by
creating a list of personal and professional goals for coming year. Each goal
should also have a deadline and objectives. This annual process is something you can start
each year to help you focus and prioritize.
If, for example, like most people, this past year you've seen plenty of change in both
your personal and professional life, you can most of your goals to be related to regaining
a healthy work-life balance in this new set of circumstances.
Goal setting forces you to sift through the tasks that crowd daily life and to create a
vision for where you want to be. Having this vision can simplify decision-making during
the year and help you make good choices about where to spend your time and money.
The more often you set and work toward goals, the easier the process becomes. Follow these
steps to complete 2008 with a winning plan.
Take stock of 2007. List the challenges you've faced in the past 12 months. This
will help pinpoint areas of your work or personal life that you might be able to handle
more effectively in 2008. For example, if you had trouble keeping track of paperwork in
your home office last year, you may need to overhaul your physical workspace.
Review last year's goals. If you did set goals for 2007, review them. Find the ones
you didn't complete and determine if they're still relevant to your situation. If they
are, think about new ways to tackle them. For example, if you want to write a book about
your business, speak with published authors.
Take a step. List things you need to do to reach your goals; then pick three list
items to take action on right away. For instance, if you want to increase your marketing
efforts, your list might include items such as creating a direct mail piece. To get
started, you might outline details to include in a mailing or make an appointment with a
graphic designer.
Be reasonable. Don't set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals.
Break large goals into manageable milestones; then plan reasonable dates for the
goal-related tasks you want to tackle. Mark these dates in your calendar. This increases
the likelihood that you will meet them.
Anticipate potential barriers. Identify things that might stand in your way of
achieving goals and create a plan for addressing them. For example, if you want to spend
more time with your children this year, create a plan now for how you will handle
especially busy work periods. Setting up a strategy ahead of time will help you quickly
address threats to your success.
Get a goal-buddy. Find a colleague or friend who can act as a goal partner. This is
someone with whom you can openly discuss your goals and progress. The greatest value of
these meetings is having time set aside to focus on long-term success rather than daily
issues. In addition, the fear of admitting you haven't attained your goals to someone else
may propel you to action.
Think positively. Maintain your enthusiasm and belief in your ability to reach your
goals. People who fear they will fail often do. People who don't consider failure an
option often succeed. If you work hard to place yourself in the latter group, you may find
yourself looking at a list of completed goals this time next year. |
|
|
