Your best year yet!
Goal setting for the busy entrepreneur and professional
Tammy Johnston, president of The Financial Guides
By Tammy Johnston
I hope that 2011 worked out to be an amazing year for you. Looking back over my past year, I know that 2011 was mixed (like always) for me.
Many great things happened and I faced many challenges. Overall I feel the momentum is positive and I’m looking forward to making 2012 the absolute best that I can.
One of the things I do every new year is to go through the best goal setting process I have found. Many years ago I discovered an awesome book, Your Best Year Yet by Jinny Ditzler. While there are many excellent goal setting books out there, I have found this one to be the most effective for me.
Experience has shown me that it takes about three to four hours to go through the entire process properly, but it is one of the most valuable things you can do to set yourself up to get the absolute most out of your year. I set huge goals, and last year I completely achieved six of my Top Ten Goals and made significant progress on the other four. I completed my first two marathons, took my husband and daughter to Disneyland, and made significant progress in my business.
To give you the Cole’s Notes version, here are the questions I take the time to properly answer and determine my life priorities for the coming year:
1. What did I accomplish?
2. What were my biggest disappointments?
3. What did I learn?
4. How do I limit myself, and how can I stop?
5. What are my personal values?
6. What roles do I play in my life?
7. Which role is my major focus for the next year?
8. What are my goals for each role?
9. What are my Top Ten Goals for the next year?
10. How can I make sure I achieve my Top Ten Goals?
I challenge you to take the time and ask yourself the questions openly and honestly, in writing. Find a quiet place where you can relax, think, and reflect. No one needs to know what you have written, it is only for you. Acknowledge the good, the bad, and the learning.
Decide on your priorities, and what are the doable steps you can take to get you closer to your goals. Let’s make it so come December 31, 2012 you can look back with genuine pride at what you have accomplished and the positive progress you have made.
“A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.”
Larry Bird
Tammy Johnston
www.thefinancialguides.com
Category: Living
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