Tag Archives: new year

Write Down Your Goals For 2012

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We are quickly approaching the end of the first week in 2012.  If you haven’t taken the time to write down your goals for the year, it may be time to do a bit of soul searching.  The fact is most people don’t drive their car without a destination in mind, and a plane doesn’t leave the terminal without a flight plan.  If a plan is required for the routine tasks that we perform on a daily basis, how much more important is it for us to have a plan for our lives?  So, if you haven’t taken the time to write down your goals, it’s time to eliminate excuses and get moving.  Included below are some of the common excuses along with the reasons why they are not valid:

Excuse # 1:  I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions.

While I agree with you that we shouldn’t wait until the New Year to change something in our lives for the better, the New Year is viewed as a fresh start for many.  When people use this excuse, it is often based in fear; the fear that they may not accomplish their goals.  If you have used this excuse when asked by others about your goals, I urge you to move in spite of the fear and make a commitment to try.

Excuse #2:  I haven’t written down my goals, but I’ve thought about them.

In the Bible, Habakkuk 2:2 states, And the Lord answered me and said, write the vision and make it plain upon tables that he may run that readeth it.  That being said, a goal that isn’t written down is no goal at all.  If you’ve been so busy this week that you’ve not had time to write down your goals, what do you think will happen next week?  Make yourself a priority and take a moment to document at least one goal for the year.  If you’re having a difficult time getting started, consider the following categories:  spiritual, family and personal. 

Whatever you do, don’t waste time comparing yourself to others.  Many times people aren’t successful in achieving their goals because they are busy trying to achieve someone else’s goals.  Make it personal.  God made you authentic, and I don’t believe he’ll bless your attempt to be someone else.  He’s given each of us our own destiny.  The choice is ours.  Our goals are merely the stepping stones that are required to reach the divine destiny that God has placed before us.

Excuse #3:  I wrote down goals last year and didn’t achieve them.  I don’t want to be a failure.

One thing is certain – if you don’t try, you’ve already failed.  Additionally, how are you measuring success?  In last year’s post, A New Year, A New Beginning, I talk about the all or nothing approach we take when judging ourselves.  This approach leads to self-sabotage.  Many times, it is not the naysayers that keep us stuck, it’s the loud voice in our own minds that tells us we aren’t worthy.  If your perception is you failed at reaching your goals last year, take a moment to document the steps you took toward your goals.  For instance, if last year was the first year you had documented goals, that’s an achievement.  Above all, stop being your worst critic.  If you don’t love yourself that may very well need to be your goal this year.  This is merely my opinion, but if you have a negative perception of yourself, you will likely always struggle to achieve your goals.

Please make the decision to become excited about 2012.  Everything may not go your way this year, but you can choose to have a positive outlook and make the most of each day.  As you make your plans for the year, don’t forget to celebrate each success no matter how small because what we focus on expands.  Happy New Year!

Place Your Goals Under Arrest!

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As we prepare for the Christmas holiday and the end of the year, many of us may be measuring how successful we’ve been in achieving our goals.  If you haven’t experienced the growth you expected this year, it’s time to figure out what’s really holding you back.  We all start out the year with great intentions, and I would even venture to say that most of us even have the appropriate level of commitment in the beginning.  However, something happens and we allow outside forces to stop us from continuing to pursue our goals or we are stopped by something within us.

I have recently been reading a book titled, An Enemy Called Average, and in one section of the book, the author has a list of questions that he charges the reader to answer.  While reflecting on the things that often stop me when I think I’ve hit a stride, I decided to raise the following questions to you:

  1. What one decision would you make if you knew that you would not fail?  –  FEAR
  2. What one thing should you eliminate from your life because it’s holding you back from reaching your full potential?  –  DISTRACTIONS
  3. What good thing have you committed to do that you’ve quit doing?  –  ENDURANCE
  4. How have the people you respect earned your respect?  –  RELATIONSHIPS
  5. What are your gifts, talents and strengths?  –  PURPOSE

Take some time and answer these questions for yourself.  In your responses, I’m sure that you will find the answer to what’s holding you back.  Next to each question, I’ve listed a factor that has to be addressed if you want to achieve success.  Let’s take a closer look below:

FEAR – At some point, we all have dealt with the fear of failure.  F.E.A.R. is merely false evidence appearing real.  However, when we experience it, it feels very real.  Make a commitment to yourself to move in spite of the fear.

DISTRACTIONS – I know that I’m not sharing any breaking news when I say that life moves at a rapid pace and is often full of distractions.  To achieve anything in life, you have to learn to move past life’s distractions.

CONFIDENCE – Become your own cheerleader.  There will be times when you may be disappointed to find out that the people you thought were in your corner are not.  Naysayers are a reality, but you have to believe in yourself and know that the naysayers can’t keep you from your destiny.

ENDURANCE – I think endurance and consistency go hand in hand.  Don’t worry if you find yourself falling short in this area because endurance is developed over time; you have to work at it.  No one runs a marathon without practicing.  The same concept applies when we set out to accomplish our goals.  The more we work at it, the more endurance we’ll build over time.

RELATIONSHIPS – If you’ve followed my blog, you’re familiar with the phrase, “iron sharpens iron.”  Check the company that you’re keeping.  If they are not goal oriented, it very well may be the reason you’re having trouble achieving your own.

PURPOSE – This is merely my opinion, but if your goals are not aligned with your purpose, you may have a difficult time reaching them.  I think our inner-compass prevents us from moving forward.  If you feel like a hamster on a wheel, it may be time to assess if your goals are derailing the journey to your destiny.

There’s officially one month left in 2011.  If you have fallen short in accomplishing your goals, spend some time reflecting on the questions included in this post and make a commitment to start again.  In the book, An Enemy Called Average, the author states, “Thoughts lead to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.”  Let’s adopt this principle, recalibrate and try, try again.

A New Year, A New Beginning

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The beginning of a new year is always a time of reflection and goal setting.  As we enter a new year, most people experience one of two emotions:  elation in achieving their goals, or dread because they didn’t.  As a society, we often view things as all or nothing.  The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t allow us to complete a fair assessment of our performance. 

Think back to when you were in school, most of us had letter or number grades; pass or fail grades were a rarity.  Yet, this is often how we measure ourselves on a daily basis.  The pass or fail approach to measuring success often leads to self sabotage because we berate ourselves when we fall short.  So if you are elated because you’ve had a great year and achieved your goals, let me join you in celebrating your success!  Rock on!  On the other hand, if you didn’t make the cut and are a bit depressed, this article is for you.

If you’re reflecting on your year and you’re not too happy with your performance, or are embarrassed because you did not achieve your goals, this is your heart to heart moment.  Let’s consider the following:

  • Did you make progress toward your goal?  For instance, your goal was to lose 20 lbs, but you lost 5 lbs.  A mile is comprised of 2,000 steps; what step are you on?  If you can honestly say that you are one step closer to your goal, cut yourself some slack and celebrate.  Focusing on the perceived failure will not help you succeed
  • Did you expect to succeed?  This is a tough question because we all know that the answer should be “yes”, but I ask that you search your heart and answer this honestly.  The definition of self-fulfilling prophecy states that what you predict or believe will happen becomes your reality.  In essence, if you believe that you can achieve your goals; your behavior aligns with your beliefs to ensure success
  • Was your goal a SMART goal (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-related)?  In the book, Rags to RICHES, we discuss goal setting.  Although the discussion is related to financial goals, the principles are universal.  Although one key ingredient to effective goal setting is ensuring that your goals are realistic, I urge you to dream big.  Don’t downsize your dream.  Remember, if you can believe it, you can achieve it.  If you understand that big dreams must be digested “one bite at a time”,  you can create the realistic stepping stones that will lead to your desired result

Ultimately, if you did not achieve the success you wanted in 2010, we’re now in 2011 – a new year, a new beginning.  If you continue to focus on what was not accomplished in 2010, you are wasting precious time because you cannot go back, but you can move forward.  As you make plans for 2011, celebrate every success no matter how small.  Remember, what you focus on expands.  Successful people speak well of themselves to themselves.  From a biblical perspective, there is nowhere in the Gospel that you can reference where Jesus puts himself down.  If He didn’t do it and we are made in His image, we should not do it either.

The New Year should be a time of celebration and great anticipation.  Don’t allow yourself to become a victim to your past.  Cindy Trimm, author of Commanding Your Morning, says it best:  “As your deepest driving desire is, so is your will; as your will is, so are your deeds; as your deeds are, so is your destiny.”  Remember that goal setting is not an all or nothing concept.  The New Year is a promise of a new beginning.  Embrace your new beginning and choose success.  Happy New Year!