Happy New Year, 2018, and no, that's not a mistake! For the next few minutes I want you to jump forward a bit to January 2nd, 2018, and consider that you’ve achieved all your goals from the last 12 months. It feels good doesn’t it? In 2017 you hit your goals, you accomplished great things, you feel validated, secure, and proud. You did it, congratulations! Think for a minute about this and allow yourself to be immersed into these serene feelings.
I hate to do this to you, but now let’s get back to reality! We are finishing up 2016 and heading into our year of accomplishment. Let’s be truthful, to get to those great feelings in 2018 we’re going to need to work a bit in 2017, but let’s also be truthful, it will be worth it!
As we conclude 2016 let’s begin the process of defining our goals and considering what it is we really want to accomplish in 2017. Before we start setting our New Year’s resolutions (do you hate those as much as me!?!?!), let’s think about those things that are most meaningful to us and then consider what we need to do to set ourselves up to achieve them. It’s time to not only set goals for 2017, but it’s time to set the right goals for 2017! The right goals, those goals that are going to bring forth all the great feelings and images we just shared together, are those goals that are tied to who we are. They are the goals that are in line with our values, the goals that are in line with our vision, and the goals that are in line with who we are. We can’t just strive to complete a to do list in 2017 (aka, our New Year’s resolutions) or check things off some list; in order to achieve greatness, we need to first get to know who we are, what we value, and who we want to be in the coming year.
So, who’s in? Who wants to take this journey with me and set goals which will bring about feelings of greatness, a feeling that when we enter 2018 we will have won? If so, let’s do it. Here are some tips…and be sure to write down your answers (not for me…unless you want to share, which is certainly welcome, but for you!).
1. Let’s start by considering what we value. Whether we value family, work, righteousness, capitalism, or a bit of all the above, we need to be true to ourselves and really consider what is most important to us…no judging here!
2. Next let’s consider what is most important to you. Is it having a flexible schedule to spend time with your family? Is it the rush of adrenaline when closing a deal? Is it serving a bigger purpose? Is it perhaps a combination of a few of these (and more)?
3. Now, once we are a bit more familiar with who we are, what have we done each day, each week, each month to help to live our values and attend to those things which we deem important?
4. OK, we hit on what we’re doing now (and wrote them down…right?!?), now, what can you be doing more of or doing better? Maybe an extra 15 minutes each day of planning, contemplating, or meditation? An extra networking event? A trip to the bowling alley with the family on a random Saturday? Five more dials to potential clients each week? Think hard here, we identified what’s important to us, now what can we do to serve them even better?
5. Now, we know what’s important to us, know what we value, know what we’ve done, and have some ideas what we can do more of. Finally, let’s create the goals for each week and month of 2017 to make them happen! You, no we, can do this…let’s make it happen in 2017!
Finally, setting goals for ourselves, or even creating New Year’s Resolutions is not enough, we need to set the right goals for 2017. Remember the more we can live our values and work towards those things which are most important to us, the more satisfied and fulfilled we will be in 2017 and the more we win experience those great feelings we started with when we hit January 2nd, 2018! I look forward to hearing how great you did!
Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season and a happy, healthy, and successful 2017!
Keep Leading!
HF
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