How many of us have made an evaluation of the past year? How was the last year for you? Have you reached most of what you hoped and planed for? Did your working hard and giving it all mode bring the desired results? Are you on track with your long term goals? Will you follow 'the compass' or rather leave it all to chance? |
How about this January be your new beginning? Is there anything that you may need to change in order to reach a better level of satisfaction with your private life and work?
If we do not spend enough time thinking about what we want from life and do not set ourselves somehow ‘formal’ goals, we may struggle in vain and reach where we didn’t want to go.
How about making it clear to yourself about where you want to reach by the end of the year? What will be your destination?
By framing your goals you enter in a process that brings you to think about your ideal future. From this point on, you will have the source, supply of energy and motivation to turn your personal vision of future into reality. When you know exactly what you want to achieve, you easily know where to concentrate your efforts and, with some practice on the way, you will quickly spot any distraction that may come on the way.
If we do not spend enough time thinking about what we want from life and do not set ourselves somehow ‘formal’ goals, we may struggle in vain and reach where we didn’t want to go.
How about making it clear to yourself about where you want to reach by the end of the year? What will be your destination?
By framing your goals you enter in a process that brings you to think about your ideal future. From this point on, you will have the source, supply of energy and motivation to turn your personal vision of future into reality. When you know exactly what you want to achieve, you easily know where to concentrate your efforts and, with some practice on the way, you will quickly spot any distraction that may come on the way.
Just like the sportsmen and women, business people, and other top performers set their goals and rigorously follow up step by step, you will have the vision for the long term and the motivation for each day until you get there. Following up on the set goals, you will feel that your self-confidence boosts with every effort that you make.
How to go about it?
1. Find a big sheet of paper and, if you are a visual person, as many colored pens as needed. Try to envisage your next five years career-wise, family-wise, interest-wise, etc… (who do you want to be, where do you want to be, how do you want to be, what do you want to have completed, with whom do you want to share,…)
2. Gather as many points as possible, to see a clearer picture of you some five years from now. Focus on the realistic points - those that you know are possible and reachable for you. Let these become your goals. Then see if you can group some meaningful points and think of all the actions needed from you to get there. Pin each necessary action down under the right group. Once this is done, try to distribute the activities throughout next four years. What can/need be done this year?
Always think about the final result you want to see achieved, but write about realistic activities that you will need to do to get there.
3. Focus on what you have got for this year and try to schedule a timeframe for each action. What do you plan to be achieved by end December? What needs to be done by end January or by mid year? If easier for you, write down actual dates when you expect to complete each task, activity, or goal. Try to break down to see what efforts you would need to do each week, or even day, to eventually get there.Try to be realistic, and think about possible distractions on the way. The smaller each step, the easier you will notice the progress you are doing towards your goals.
4. When you have more goals, make sure to set priorities, just to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Help yourself directing your energy and attention to the most important goals on your list.
5. If you know of someone who wants to achieve a similar goal, you might want to suggest to support each other by checking up from time to time where each one of you has reached. Have a bet on something, or simply ask a reliable person in your life to sit with you and talk about your progress from time to time.
The motivation comes by setting your goals clear, sharp and measurable. Each newly achieved step towards your goal will bring you personal satisfaction and pride. What in the past may have been a blurred idea, has now become visible and a clear path towards your better self. Be ready to adapt your plan every now and then, as the obstacles are always coming on the way. Your flexibility and perseverance are the ones that will make you deal with them.
How to go about it?
1. Find a big sheet of paper and, if you are a visual person, as many colored pens as needed. Try to envisage your next five years career-wise, family-wise, interest-wise, etc… (who do you want to be, where do you want to be, how do you want to be, what do you want to have completed, with whom do you want to share,…)
2. Gather as many points as possible, to see a clearer picture of you some five years from now. Focus on the realistic points - those that you know are possible and reachable for you. Let these become your goals. Then see if you can group some meaningful points and think of all the actions needed from you to get there. Pin each necessary action down under the right group. Once this is done, try to distribute the activities throughout next four years. What can/need be done this year?
Always think about the final result you want to see achieved, but write about realistic activities that you will need to do to get there.
3. Focus on what you have got for this year and try to schedule a timeframe for each action. What do you plan to be achieved by end December? What needs to be done by end January or by mid year? If easier for you, write down actual dates when you expect to complete each task, activity, or goal. Try to break down to see what efforts you would need to do each week, or even day, to eventually get there.Try to be realistic, and think about possible distractions on the way. The smaller each step, the easier you will notice the progress you are doing towards your goals.
4. When you have more goals, make sure to set priorities, just to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Help yourself directing your energy and attention to the most important goals on your list.
5. If you know of someone who wants to achieve a similar goal, you might want to suggest to support each other by checking up from time to time where each one of you has reached. Have a bet on something, or simply ask a reliable person in your life to sit with you and talk about your progress from time to time.
The motivation comes by setting your goals clear, sharp and measurable. Each newly achieved step towards your goal will bring you personal satisfaction and pride. What in the past may have been a blurred idea, has now become visible and a clear path towards your better self. Be ready to adapt your plan every now and then, as the obstacles are always coming on the way. Your flexibility and perseverance are the ones that will make you deal with them.