There is nothing more exciting than a New Year which promises a fresh start.

A time to refresh our hopes, our dreams, and our energy. 

Most importantly, it is a time which commands that we center our spirit. And remind ourselves of our purpose in life and what God has whispered in our hearts.

It is this whisper which compels us to look inward.

A self-examination that far exceeds the last few pops of champagne and fireworks.

The New Year has forever been a time where we ask ourselves just one absolutely monumental question…

Who are we and who do we hope to be?

Here is the quintessential January irony.

Each year we relentlessly hope for a new ‘us.’ When in reality we write down the same hopes and dreams which have forever been within us.

The ones we lose sight of as we sidestep through life’s interference rather than hunkering down and seizing and believing in who we are meant to be.

This is the year to not be distracted from your sole (soul) purpose. 

A year to methodically map out a plan to ensure the New Year brings about the true you.

The following four exercises will help achieve just that:

1.  Your Goals:

While you are still enjoying that bubbly allow your resolutions to ‘bubble’ to the surface.

Who are YOU? What do YOU want to do?

Scribble down those wishes you wholeheartedly deserve.

You can make one main list or even better make several lists. You can put the proper header at the top of each list, i.e., personal goals, professional goals, spiritual goals, recreational goals, parenting goals, etc.

It’s a good idea to compartmentalize these goals and then ultimately make one big master plan to abide by. In other words, write them all up separately on different pages and then whittle them down to a master list several pages long with the different subheadings. This is you. It is who you are. It comprises your spiritual, personal, family and professional goals.

The initial individual pages should be all your thoughts and dreams in each of those areas. Then because it is difficult to do all things at once, take the two to three most important aspects of each of those individual pursuits for your master plan. Ultimately, as you achieve the first several goals in each area, your individual pages will serve as a reference point to review the other things you hope to achieve.

You can’t spread yourself too thin when achieving goals. You must be able to highlight the most important and achieve those first and then the others at a later time. If you do not focus, you will not achieve any of them and you will become discouraged.

2. Your Calendar:

Now that you have two to three goals in each of your individual pursuits, i.e., personal, family, spiritual, etc. It is time to make a calendar to accompany these goals.

For instance, you want to return to school and get a new degree. This would be listed under ‘personal goals’ and the calendar date would be your date when you would ultimately begin or complete your new degree.

If your goal is to take a family vacation, it would be listed under ‘family goals’ and the calendar date would be the month you hope to take that trip.

If your goal is to lose weight it would be a ‘personal goal’ and the calendar date would be when you plan to lose a certain amount of weight.

If your goal is to give back more it would be listed as a ‘spiritual goal.’ And the calendar date would list when and how you would be giving back.

The calendar date is your goal completion date. It is the long-term achievement of your goal

3. Your Plan:

Your plan is the accumulation of objectives and dates which will lead you towards accomplishing these goals.

It may sound counter-intuitive to list the calendar date before your plan; however it is not. You have to have the ultimate completion date in mind before you can create a plan.

You have to understand that if college is the ultimate goal then it will take four years to complete that goal. And likewise, what is the plan to achieve this? First, we must research colleges, then apply and by what date? etc.

The plan is your step by step guide to achieve your goal. It is an examination of each individual goal and what you need to do to accomplish it and by what date it needs to be done. 

Thus, ensuring your goal is met by your Calendar Completion date.

4. Your Visuals:

Visuals are extremely important in accomplishing goals.

The world gets busy and we forget what we are working towards. A visual reminder can be very powerful. An overall vision board is the best. Look at different magazines and pull out all of the pictures and words which best describe the goals and plans you have for your future.

Then compile them on a bulletin board or poster board which is front and center in your life. Do not create the board just to leave it in a closet or out of the way place. Make sure it is positioned where you will see it daily.

Even better?

Take a few elements that are really important goals and tape them to your mirror. A place you look into every day. If it is a trip then make it a picture of that destination. If it is a new car post the image there. Make sure you look at it every day as a reminder of where you are going either literally as a vacation or figuratively as the next stage of your life you hope to achieve.

5. Your Accountability:

Goal accountability can best be explained by the professionals who subscribe to it the most.

A sales professional has to write down goals and promise to deliver them.

They understand goals because their profession and incomes depend upon them.

They can never afford (quite literally) to ever lose sight of the goals they make. They must be ACCOUNTABLE each month as to how they are keeping their eye on the original goal and the calendar date it is ultimately promised by and the plan which will lead them to this and the visual which will remind them.

Sales professionals know the secret of achieving goals because they can’t afford to forget it.

 

I started out in sales many years ago. I learned some of my best life lessons from those hard working men and women.

And I have put it to good use over the years.

I was always tenacious but that in itself does not promise you will achieve your goals. You have to operate from a core belief that everything is obtainable if you have a plan and that you must be willing to suffer three times the losses to get that one sale.

That is how goals are achieved. By understanding that dreams and hopes absolutely must be transformed into a methodical plan and along the way, you will be humbled more than you will be hopeful.

But, ultimately and gloriously, in the end, you will hopeful from all that humbling.

And you will know exactly who you are and be doing what you hoped you would be.

(Photos courtesy of Pexels)

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