December 2021 Newsletter Create next year’s blueprint
Create next year’s blueprint
Be prepared! You are going to hear a lot this month about goal setting.
In December most of us start talking about what we want to accomplish in the New Year. This is the perfect time to make a blueprint of what you expect from yourself. Remember that if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.
Don’t overthink it. Goal setting is really not that difficult. Be honest about what you expect from yourself next year. Then, once you have a clear picture in your mind, put it in writing.
Did you know that only about 3% of us have created a written plan or written goals? Many people put more time and energy into planning their next vacation than they devote to planning their career. If you intend to get better at what you are doing and to accomplish more, you need to have a plan.
Setting goals will change the trajectory of your life, but only if your goals are part of a strategic plan of action… in other words, a blueprint.
“True nobility is not about being better than anyone else, it’s about being better than you used to be.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer
The life you are envisioning begins when you become CLEAR about the goals you set for yourself and you feel confident that when you achieve them, you’ll be living your best life!
If you spend a small amount of time each day working on your personal growth, you can significantly change your life. That’s all it takes to become the confident, productive person you want to be – spending a few minutes a day learning new skills and developing strategies to create success.
“You need a plan to build a house. To build a life, it is even more important to have a plan or goal.” – Zig Ziglar
When you’re setting goals, it never hurts to review the fundamentals. This happens all the time in football. When a reporter talks to a coach whose team is down by 7 points at halftime and asks him what the team is going to do differently during the second half of the game, what does the coach say?
Almost always the coach will tell the reporter, “We’re going to go back to the fundamentals.” That is also what goal setting is all about: the basics and fundamentals. One of the common characteristics of a successful, productive person is that they master the basics and fundamentals of the objective they are trying to accomplish.
With that in mind, here are seven steps for creating a blueprint for success:
- Decide exactly what you want. Think about your goals until you are crystal clear on what you expect from yourself.
2. Write down your goals. Think on paper. When you write down a goal, you solidify its meaning and give it tangible form. You create something that you can touch and see. In contrast, a goal or objective that is never put in writing is merely a wish or a fantasy.
- Set a deadline for accomplishing each of your goals, because a goal or a decision without a deadline has no urgency. If you don’t set a definite deadline, you will naturally procrastinate and get very little done.
- Make a list of everything you can think of that you will have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of additional activities, add them to your list. Keep building your list until it is complete. A list gives you a visual picture. It gives you a track to run on.
- Organize your list into a plan. Take a few minutes to decide what you need to do first and what you can do later. With a written goal and an organized plan of action, you will be far more productive and efficient than people who are carrying goals around in their minds.
- Take action on your plan immediately. Do something. Do anything. An average plan executed is far better than a brilliant plan on which nothing is done.
- Resolve to do something every single day that moves you closer to achieving your goals. Build this activity into your daily schedule. Whatever it might be, make sure you are committed to doing it. Keep pushing forward. Once you start moving, don’t stop.
You have the God-given ability to make all of this happen in your life. You just have to take the necessary steps and remember not to overthink the process. Life is not a race, so take it one day at a time and enjoy the journey!
If not now, then when? And if not you, then who?