More to the point, is your business ready? When the clock strikes midnight, will you know where your business is heading?
I’ll admit it, the year end caught me totally off guard. Yes, even once the holidays showed up, I still didn’t realize just how close the end of the year was.
So in lieu of trying to catch up or make excuses (I enjoyed my vacation far too much to even think about regretting it or using it as an excuse), I figured I’ll just move on with the planning and the goal setting.
I’m not really a fan of creating resolutions. I’m more about creating the lists, coming up with goals related to the list and the affirmations that accompany them.
Saying that you’re writing goals is easy. Writing quality, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Results-oriented, Timely) goals that are measurable and help to hold you accountable is something else. That said, I’m not so sure about the “attainable” that some people have on their SMART list…everyone should have at least one crazy, wild, big dream that might not ever come true, but that can still motivate you to succeed.
Either way, it’s important to give your personal goals and objectives a fighting chance by writing them down.
If you need a couple pointers or a quick refresher on writing goals, a couple weeks back (before the lovely vacation), I posted a great video by Kevin Eikenberry explaining how to write effective goals.
Or you can take the approach of one of my Facebook friends (yes, someone I’ve yet to meet…I love that about social networking). Eydie from Eydie’s Office (FB Fan Page) offered the following list of prompts for both your personal and your professional goals.
My biggest pie in the sky goal for 2010 is …
My dream destination for 2010 is …
My health goal for 2010 is …
My family goal for 2010 is …
I will get rid of … in 2010
I want to learn …. in 2010
I want to meet …. in 2010
and last but not least, I will make $…….. by 12/31/10 !!!
And a very wise Facebook friend suggested the following which combines a little reflection and looking back with setting some goals and looking forward…write three letters for the new year:
- what didn’t work at all for you in 2009
- what you are grateful for
- what you wish to happen in 2010
I think I’m going to do a combination of the two, with a side of looking back. The question then…share the goals with friends and/or loved ones or the public at large (thank you social media) or keep them to myself to reflect upon?
What are you doing to set your goals and focus for the new year and what do you do once you’ve created your goals?
