Welcome to 2010, the start of a fresh new year, and a new decade!
Every year at this time, I get tons of e-mail messages from people who are eager to tell me about their resolutions for the next year. While I am indeed impressed at what people plan on doing, what really does it for me is to see the RESULTS of what had been planned.
So as you look back over the past year, what did you accomplish? What goal did you set for yourself that you hit, and even exceeded? Or do you even remember the goals you set for yourself?
Like so many people out there, I too set goals for myself at this time of year. But I do it with a twist. Let me share with you what I mean.
Success Begins in the Shower!
I start my goal-setting process every morning while I’m in the shower. Yes, it does sound like an odd place to be goal-setting, but it works for me.
It’s a time of day when I’m not able to hear the phone ring, where I can’t check e-mail, and when I’m pretty sure that no matter what else is happening in the house or who rings the door bell, I won’t be able to hear it or respond to it.
It’s a quiet moment each day that allows me to think about what I want from that day. Is there something that I could get done that would move me towards my bigger goals? What is on my plate that’s annoying me and would feel so much better if it simply weren’t there?
Who can I call, who can I e-mail, or who can I reach out to in some way to get a question I have answered? These are the kinds of questions I ask myself each morning, as I enjoy a quiet moment in the shower.
New Goals for 2010
For the New Year, I’ll create bigger goals, but not 100 of them, not 50, or even 10. I’ll simply put my attention on 2 to 3 bigger goals that I’ve got for the coming year. It’s just easier to stay focused on fewer goals and you’ll have more energy for each of them when there are few of them to deal with.
From there, I start to plan out my first week of the year. What steps could I take even today, New Year’s Day, to start the ball moving in the direction I want to go? Today is a great day to send personal e-mail messages to people, so if nothing else, I’ll be writing this message, and many other messages to people who will play a role in helping to make my goals a reality.
Each day I make sure I have something on my list that is tied to making these 2 or 3 main goals a reality. Personally, I use Microsoft® Outlook and create an appointment for 8am each day of the week. In the appointment details screen, I’ll use it to enter my list for the day. So on Monday morning, there is an 8am appointment that when I double-click on it, opens up and I can
see the things I hope to get done that day.
It’s a very simple system that works well for me and doesn’t require anything fancy. I just use the tools that are already on my computer in front of me.
Anting that does not get done on the day I’d hoped to get it done, is simply copied and pasted onto the next day’s 8am appointment. I call the Monday appointment “Monday’s Power List”
and just change the day, but there is one for each day.
Success Strategy for 2010
Now for 2010, I’d like to share with you what this year is going to be about. In 2009, the year was about completion, it was the end of the decade, the end of en era, and the end of so many other things too.
When we look ahead to 2010, this year will be about “creation.” It’s a year where you’ll lay the groundwork for the next phase of your life and for your career. It’s a time to decide what you’ll no longer stand for and what you’re now committed to having in your life.
I suspect too that we’ll see this echoed in our society with continued big changes in how our world operates. Change is a good thing, but getting through it can be prove to be turbulent as we move from what was comfortable to what will eventually be the next level in our continued expansion.
Do yourself a favor and IGNORE as much of it as you can, and keep your eyes on the goals you’ve set for yourself. What happens “out there” has little to do with you on a personal level, but what you focus on each and every day affects you personally 100% of the time.
Consider that you are the most important person in the world and that you must take care of yourself above and beyond anything else. When you’re strong, when you’re motivated and empowered, you can change your life in ways that will amaze you.
When you’re not feeling strong, you end up being bumped and pummelled by life and you struggle to just survive.
The good news is that you always have a choice, no matter how rough things may seem right now. You were given free-will at birth and that means that you get to make the decisions in your life that are best for you. If you’ll simply do that one little thing, 2010 will indeed be a year you’ll remember.
It can be the year that changes everything.
I wish you success, happiness, insight and inspiration and I’m looking forward to hearing about how you took your life to many new levels of success of this year! And be sure to let me know how I can help you be the best you can be!
Be outstanding!
Robert Imbriale
Master Coach
http://www.RobertImbriale.com