I love this time of year – the little lull right before the new year gets underway. It’s a time for me to reflect, regroup and re-energize. A whole new year stretches out before me, holding promises of great things to come. At the same time, I am putting closure on the year that is behind me. This brief period is a great time to reflect on where I’ve been and, at the same time, plan for where I am heading. Over the past week, I have spent hours purging my office of clutter created by old papers, books and periodicals to make room for the great opportunities ahead. I’ve taken time to look back over my journals, the goals I had set for myself one year ago and celebrate accomplishments.
Setting goals is one of the basic tenets of good business, but are equally valuable in our personal lives. Each of us owes it to ourselves to set personal and professional goals to give us direction, structure and a compass to the future. Unlike the New Year’s resolution that runs the risk of obsolescence within days, goals can be set in such a way that you are much more likely to succeed. Here are just a few questions that I ask myself when setting goals.
•Is this goal aligned with core values?
•Is it SMART? (specific, measurable, attainable and time-worthy)
•Is it compelling enough to engage others?
•What roadblocks might keep me from achieving this goal?
•How will I keep the goals front and center throughout the year?
By running my goals through this checklist, I am able to put them in context of my life so that I have a better chance of success.
So what are your goals for 2010? I’ve got some big ones. Stay tuned for some exciting changes.