How time flies, within a twinkle we were shouting and greeting each other "happy new year" amidst joy and happiness that we have crossed over to a brand new year with new hopes and aspirations. There is something about crossing over into a new year; it gives you a feeling of strength and hope that somehow things will be better than it was the previous year.
In as much as we want to reap all the benefits that the New Year will bring, there are congent and important steps we need to take if we want to be strategically positioned for personal and business success in the year 2009 of which Goal setting is vital.
A goal is a dream with a deadline and if you do not have dreams and plans for the New Year, how then can you have a dream come true.
A study of 1953 graduates of a State University clearly demonstrates this point. The graduates were interviewed and asked if they have clear, specific, set and documented goals for life after school. Only 3 percent had such written goals. Twenty years later, the researchers went back and interviewed the surviving members of the 1953 graduating class. They discovered that the three percent with written specific goals were worth more in financial terms than the entire 97% put together who left their destiny to fate. However, the researchers also discovered that the less measurable or more subjective measures such as the level of happiness, fulfillment and joy that the graduates felt also seemed to be superior in the 3% with written goals.
To strategize and make the most of the New Year in both your personal and Business, you have to;
Decide exactly what you want in every area of your life
Deciding exactly what you want in every area of your life helps you to get focused on your goal and it gives you the necessary spur required for its accomplishment. It even helps you to decide what to pack for your Journey into the year. Deciding what you want will also help you scan your friends, past actions that do not add value, old habits e.t.c and remove extra luggage.
"If you really know what you want in life, its amazing how opportunities will come to enable you carry them out" John Goddard.
Personally, I will like to recommend the following areas where you have to decide exactly what you want for the New Year.
Your Relationship
Our world and how far we will go in life is determined by two things, the people you know and what you know. Of these two things, the former is of utmost importance. Your Network in life is determined by your network. Are there relationships or friendships in the past years that you have left idle or that you have allowed to go sour, do you have colleagues in your office that you have refused to talk to or have anything to do with? Or worse still, is your marital relationship taking a nose dive. You can decide to heal these relationships this New Year. A little text message, call, I miss you note or gift could help water that acquaintance again. Remember, every one that comes your way in life’s journey is somehow linked to either your success or your failure, but amazingly, the choice is yours. If there are strategic alliances that you have to make in order to achieve your goals this year, start making those friendships immediately. Some persons are your dream helpers, find them do not wait for luck or destiny to bring them to you.
Your Finance
Evaluate your self, were you in Debt last year, how did your savings go? Have you been able to instill the saving habit into your self or are you still struggling with it? I believe you do not expect to remain at the same level of income as you were last year. That would be stagnancy. You then have to create more streams of income for yourself and your family. Create your financial goals and start immediately at it.
Your Health
Though you might think very little can be done in this regard but you are getting it wrong. It takes just a little discipline to lose that tire around your middle. You know those things that you are allergic to; please decide to avoid them. Your spirit and your lofty Ideas need your body to succeed. It could be impulse eating, late night eating, excessive drinking, smoking, drinking cold things e.t.c
Your Education
Personally I think this is the most important area of your life where you have to devote more time to this year. Knowledge is what you know that gives you an edge over others. I call it the law of sharpening your axe.
A trader once went to a trade fair to sell his wares and included in his goods an old dusty violin. On getting there, he placed the old violi8n for sale ands he started off at a 100 cents but nobody wanted to buy from him his old dusty Violin. He reduced the price to fifty cents but still, nobody was interested. Disappointed, he got ready to go home when an old man beckoned on him for the Violin.
The old man dusted the Violin, wiped it clean and started playing a tune on it. The music flowing out of the Violin was so melodious that people started gathering around the 0ld man and the violin to listen to the melody. After playing for a while, the old man held up the Violin and screamed "300 dollars" and rich mans hopping for antiques paid for it; the same Old Dusty Violin.
Pause a little and ask your self what the old man did to the violin that increased its price tremendously. What he simply did was to Dust, Clean, tune the violin after which he capped it up by playing a melodious tune on it to attract possible and worthy buyers. Does this mean that we are paid in proportion to what we know? How true this is.
If you want to move to the next level and make enough income to secure your future and grant you FINANCIAL independence, then you must do a little dusting and cleaning.
Ask yourself these questions; What level am I now, what new thing or new skill, education or training do you think you can acquire that will give you the boost you need. It could be computer training, going back for your Masters Degree, attending a raining on a particula5r area of your weakness e.t.c.
Whatever it is that you have top do, make sure you do not remain at the same level of knowledge when the year closes as well. A word is enough for the wise.
Write Down Your Goals For The Year
Writing down your Personal and Business goals has a way of committing you to its achievement. It cements what is going on in your mind and whenever you set your eyes on your written goals, it drives a home the fact that it must be accomplished.
If it is a very large goal, break it down into sub topics or headlines and write them down in the right order. Then make a list of every thing you think you are going to do to achieve your ultimate goal and then add them to your list of priorities.
Set Reasonable Deadlines And Targets
"A goal is dream with a deadline" it is better to have realizable goals than large and vague goals. If your goals do have deadlines, it helps to awaken the fact that it is possible. All the times I have planned programmes and conferences, nothing falls into place until I fix a date for the Programme. Nobody, corporate body; guest speaker even knows when to help you if you do not know when you need help. If your goal is large, break it down into smaller and achievable goals with set deadlines for their achievement.
Discipline Yourself To Achieve Your Goals
The most frequent reason why most persons do not achieve their goal is procrastination. Procrastination is the grave where opportunities are buried. You have to decide to stick to your goals and more importantly your plans to achieve them.
The first show of discipline is to immediately as you drop this article pick up a writing pad and a pen and simply write down your goals and aspirations for the year if you haven’t. That is your first wrung on the ladder of personal and business success for the year 2009.
Till we meet again, I wish you a Fulfilling New Year as you commit yourself to becoming the solution to your world.
About The Author
Basola A. Victor is the CEO of BASH Concepts International, a Business Solutions firm dedicated to becoming a one stop shop for overall Business Corporate and Personal development.
For Consultancy, please Contact;
Basola A. Victor
P: +234 (0) 703-5121-346, 08078957783
E: bashconcepts@yahoo.com
W: www.basolavictor.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment