| 6 steps to ensure this is your best year ever! | | | | progress, achievable and stretching but realistic so the |
| At the start of every year, many of us have great | | | | goal motivates and inspires you and time bound so |
| ambitions for our careers, business and personal life | | | | you know when you need to complete them by) and |
| for the year ahead. | | | | allocate the resources you will need to achieve your |
| We know about setting goals but why is it we often | | | | goals - be that financial, your own time or the support |
| fail to achieve what we truly desire or deserve in | | | | of others. |
| terms of business results or in our career? | | | | Document your goals |
| Let's explore some strategies to help us create and | | | | Be sure to document your goals - this will make the |
| deliver against our goals, so we give ourselves every | | | | goals more than an aspiration. The actual process of |
| opportunity to make sure this is our best year ever. | | | | writing your goals moves them from being an idea to a |
| Create a compelling vision | | | | decision and something you can commit to. |
| Goals in the absence of a vision are unlikely to realise | | | | Each day we are surrounded by choices of how we |
| results. If our goals don't help us get to where we | | | | spend our time and energy. If you have your goals |
| want to be in our business or career we won't be | | | | firmly in mind as you face into these decisions you can |
| inspired to achieve them. Remember, if you don't know | | | | then make informed choices. Only then can you decide |
| where you are going, how will you know when you | | | | if that enticing activity or project will actually help you |
| have got there? | | | | move towards achieving your goals. |
| Visualise yourself in a years time what goals would | | | | Set 90 day goals |
| you like to have achieved? Capture your thoughts in | | | | It's often daunting to consider what it will take to |
| writing - if you have a list of 20 things you want to | | | | achieve your goals over 12 months. It's far more |
| achieve, you'll need to prioritise your aspirations. | | | | manageable and motivating to break your goals into |
| Consider which would make the biggest difference to | | | | smaller projects and focus on what you need to |
| your business or career and focus on them - perhaps | | | | achieve in the next 90 days. |
| they are goals related to your business or personal | | | | This also allows you to manage changes during the |
| finances, your career, winning new clients, increasing | | | | year, be that changes in the competitive landscape, |
| your reputation, learning a new skill or hobby. | | | | changes in your team or new opportunities that come |
| Build on last year's success | | | | along. Consider it like sailing a yacht where you have |
| All too often we move from one year to the next or | | | | to keep charting the landscape and correcting your |
| one project to the next without taking stock of the | | | | direction to keep on track - getting from A to Z is |
| circumstances and factors that contributed to our | | | | rarely a straight line! |
| previous success. | | | | Recruit a success team |
| What went really well for you last year? Did you meet | | | | Many of us find it easier to stay accountable to |
| or beat some of your objectives? What can you learn, | | | | ourselves in achieving our goals if we share our goals |
| adopt and apply that will support you in your plans for | | | | with others. |
| the year ahead? | | | | In an organisational context then, share your goals with |
| Create clear and inspiring goals | | | | your team members - you are sure to have |
| Often we have too many goals so we're not able to | | | | interdependent goals that will need to be completed to |
| apply enough time and energy to truly achieving them. | | | | ensure your own and your team's success. |
| How many times have you started new projects or | | | | For your personal goals or if you have your own |
| new hobbies without seeing things through to | | | | business, you may find it helpful to establish a |
| completion? It's highly probably that if you worked out | | | | "mastermind group" where you meet regularly to share |
| the time you need to invest to achieve all your | | | | your objectives. |
| aspirations for the year ahead, there would not be | | | | A final thought |
| enough hours or resources available to you. | | | | Did you know most email tools allow you to delay the |
| It's vital to prioritise your goals and focus on the ones | | | | delivery of an email to yourself? |
| that are the most inspiring, relevant and critical for you | | | | Why not send yourself an email to arrive in a year's |
| to attain. You'll have more energy and commitment to | | | | time, detailing your aspirations for the year ahead? |
| achieving your goals if you're truly energised by them. | | | | Won't it be fun to open it up to find you've exceeded |
| Make sure they are documented and are SMART | | | | your goals and that this year truly was your best year |
| (specific so you are really clear about what you want | | | | ever! |
| to attain, measurable so you know how to chart your | | | | |