Got Goals? Making 2012 Your Best Year Yet!

Where will you be one year from today? What is your plan for getting there? Do you have your 2012  goals posted where you can see them every day? Are you committed to getting to that next level?

If these questions look unfamiliar or make you uncomfortable, you will probably finish 2012 exactly where you are now…thinking you should probably be someplace else but with no clue how to get there.

Goals are one of the most powerful and best kept secrets to creating more success in your life. Ask a room full of people if they’ve taken the time to put their goals in writing. Fewer than five percent will raise their hands—I’ve done this during dozens of programs and am always shocked by the results.

Why do more than 90 percent of Americans struggle with creating and achieving meaningful goals? Here are four classic reasons…see if any of them look familiar.

• Failure to write goals and post them in plain view. Let’s do a quick test…what are your three most important goals for 2012 and where are they posted? Ouch…huh?
• Not understanding how to create a goal. “I want to make more money” is NOT a goal. “I want to earn $150,000 before taxes in 2012 so that we can buy a lake house to spend more quality time as a family” is a goal. See the difference? Goals need to be specific and measurable— motivating and achievable. Your goals should have purpose and fit into the bigger plan of your life.
• Ability to create a goal but failing to create a plan on how to achieve that goal. Goals are your destination…the plan is your map on how to get there. A plan outlines the obstacles you will face and the resources you will need. It identifies the knowledge and skills that you need to acquire or sharpen. What small steps can you take each day to reach your goal by January 2013? The answers to these questions are the foundation of a great plan.
• Inability to keep commitments. Our culture today is all about quick fixes—just look at the front cover of any major magazine. Get rich, become smart and enjoy rock hard abs overnight. Give me a break! If you want to reach your goals you better be ready to face some hard work. If this stuff was easy everyone would be doing it, and I wouldn’t be writing about this.

So how can you set up 2012 to be your most successful year ever? Here are four quick tips to get you on track now!

1. Get goals! Think about where you want to be one year from today—financially, physically, mentally, spiritually, places you want to visit, relationships you want to build and things you want to do. Brainstorm big ideas…don’t limit your thinking. You will be surprised at what you can accomplish in a year with the right focus and commitment. (By the way, quota should not be one of your goals. Quotas are set by managers, goals are set by you. If you focus only on making quota you will never reach your goals.)
2. Why is this important? List all of the specific benefits of achieving each goal. What happens to you and your world when you accomplish this goal? If the benefits aren’t compelling, you will find yourself abandoning the goal at the first hint of a headwind. If the benefits aren’t clearly defined, you could knock yourself out for something only to discover it’s something you never really wanted in the first place.
3. Determine the daily dose. How much do you need to do each day to reach your goal? How many calls, ounces, miles, dollars, presentations or calories will it take? Start small…experience success and build some momentum. Don’t set yourself up for failure by creating unrealistic expectations (losing 10lbs a week) or writing a check you can’t cover (making 50 new contacts every day).
4. Surround yourself with accountability partners. Find others in your life that you trust to be honest with you (you’re not looking for a professional cheerleader!). Share your written goals with them and explain the benefits you’re hoping to enjoy. Give them a copy of your plan and then schedule regular conversations to discuss progress, explore challenges and celebrate the small victories.

Call to action!
Want to make 2012 a year to remember? Then decide right now where you want to be next January and start creating a plan to get there. I can’t guarantee that these ideas will work for you, but I can guarantee that they work.

Until then,

Tim