It's Time To SET SOME GOALS!

December serves different purposes to different people. Some may look at itnas a time to take a much-needed break where others might fall into thenmystique of the holidays and put business agendas on a back burner.

I look at the month as a prime time to set realistic goals for the upcomingnyear — with limited interruption, of course. I, like most people, sit backnwith my feet on the desk, take a deep breath in relief that the year isnover, and reminisce about the year’s happenings. More importantly, however,
I look at December as a time to game plan and think about how I intend tonstart January with a refreshed outlook and with a renewed sense of purpose.

With all great intentions, you should spend time thinking about andndiscussing your ideas for the future. Once you speak intentions, younsomehow announce to the world your plans; therefore, you’re committed tonfulfilling them. The next step, however, is to write them down. If younplan to write separate goals for your personal life and your business (ornpertaining to your career), ensure you don’t overload your intentions. Keepnin mind the time dedication needed for each of your line items, and don’t benafraid to postpone those that can’t feasibly be completed over the 12-monthnperiod.

Forecasting, setting goals, or researching steps needed to achieve short-nand long-term goals can rejuvenate you and make you forget problems fromnmonths past. Mentally perceiving that the moon and the stars can be reachednwill allow you to move obstacles and place yourself on a positive pathnheading straight for the obtainable goals.

First, create a master plan. Your plan should encompass realistic goalsnalong with the steps needed to achieving each of them. Covering your groundnwill ensure that you reach your due rewards so you can look back again andntake pride in your accomplishments.

Setting obtainable short and long-term goals can keep pessimism at bay andnallow for progression and growth. View small goals as local games; largerngoals as a championship. Winning smaller games are wonderful feats thatnwill eventually lead to larger games designed to recognize you as anchampion.

For example, pursuing a magazine to publish an article can lead to authoringna book that may lead to book signings and writing more books. The road tonsuccess started with a single article.

Maybe one of your goals is to be home when your child arrives from school.
It starts when you open the door with a smiling face and say, “How was yournday?” Weeks pass and you find that your child runs from the bus to see yournsmiling face. Years pass and you find yourself at a family gathering andnyou overhear your child telling others about your attentive nature. Thenroad to better parenting started with the decision to be home before the busndrop-off.

Second, don’t listen to your inner demon. It’s been noted that individualsnpossess an internal “destroyer,” designed to sabotage success. Think of theninner conscious as something that constantly says negative statements toncause second-guessing and breeding doubt. This little voice can provoke anperson to look at perfectly viable goals and see nothing but unobtainable ornunrealistic items.

Third, take a long look at those around you. Do you associate with positivenpeople? I challenge you to read several biographies of the famous and thenwealthy. You’ll notice one common denominator: successful people prosper,ndine, party, and vacation with other positive and successful people. Bynconnecting with others of the same mindset, a person’s expectations can benobtained with the help of others.

Lastly, change your whole mindset about yourself and those around you.
Unfortunately, pessimism is a bad “disease” spreading through the world andnkilling the best of intentions. If you encourage those around you and seentheir potential, you will get the same in return. Optimism is the onlynattitude a person should possess to ensure expectations are met. Unlikenpessimism, optimism will help a person achieve and obtain all goalsnregardless of difficulty level.

Have fun with your goals. If you decide that you need to spend more timenwith your teenager, create a cookie jar full of activities and fun tripsnderived from every member of your family. You might decide to pull one ofnthe ideas from the jar each Saturday — and do it no matter how “unlike you”nit is!

Another way to make goal setting an easy process is by soliciting the helpnof your spouse or office mate. Having another brain can surface all sortsnof topics that you never dreamed of and leave you scrambling on how you’llnobtain them all because they’re so INNOVATIVE and GREAT.

Steps for setting goals: Devise your goals and place them in a short-termn(several weeks up to 4 months or so) and long-term (5-12 months) column;npreferably within a Word document because you’ll play around with them manyntimes before they reach final form. Once your list is complete, rearrangenthem in order of importance. Place the most important first and go down thenline until you reach the least important goal. Delete those you feel aren’tnpractical. Next, write an outline of how you intend to obtain each of them.
Identify obstacles, map out baby steps, and add miscellaneous items to yournchecklist such as e-mail addresses and phone numbers that you’ll neednthroughout the year to assist with the completion process. Lastly, put thenlist in a location where you’ll see it often. If it’s out of sight, you’llnlose track of it and forget the list ever existed.

Make a conscious effort to complete each item within the allotted time. Thenwhole point of writing down your goals is so that you’ll make every effortnto achieve them. Have a prosperous, relaxing, and productive New Year!