This is a great time to make some really amazing goals and dreams. It is the beginning of a new decade, 2010. We get to not only plan for the new year, but how about planning for the next ten years. Some goals take more time, the really big ones, to achieve. This is the perfect opportunity to break goals down to the year, over the next three years, the next five years, and to the next decade.
We are at that time of year when so much is going on. Preparing to spend time with family and/or friends over a meal giving thanks for the year that has come and gone, then time with family and/or friends to exchange well-thought gifts, and then a new year is quickly upon us. Spending the last couple of months thinking about and doing things for others. New Year’s is your time. Time to celebrate you and what you’re going to do to make your mark, that leap, those changes.
During November and December, I look back on the year to remember what I have done, the people I have met, what I have accomplished, and what I haven’t accomplished. It’s a time to evaluate or re-evaluate what is important to me, what I want, and the people I share my life and time with. Asking myself:
- What people and things came into my life that I appreciate that were unplanned?
- What people and things came into my life that I appreciate that were planned?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my health/fitness?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my career?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my relationships?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my free time/recreation time?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my community?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my finances?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my home/family?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my education?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my personal area/social life/networking?
- The first thing to do is write out how you see yourself in ten years. Write it as a story. It really does put you in the picture. Use all your senses. What do you smell, taste, feel (physically and in your heart), hear, and see. Make it vibrant and interactive, involving the people you want in your story with you.
- With the amazing life you see yourself at in ten years, write down everything you can think of without filtering in five minutes. It could be a list of 25, 50, or 100.
- Then take each item and indicate a number 1, 3, 5, and 10, indicating years that you see yourself achieving it.
- Then in each timeframe, 1, 3, 5, and 10, pick your top 3. Or, pick one thing for each part of your life; health/fitness, career, relationships, free time/recreation time, community, finances, home/family, education, and personal area/social life/networking.
That’s the easy part.
- With your vision of perfection ten years from now, take the goals you have selected and work your way back. It’s about taking the end result and figuring out the steps it will take you to get to that goal.
- Break down each goal and list the resources and tasks it will take to accomplish the goal.
- Once you have researched what it takes to reach that goal, create benchmarks on your calendar of when you want to reach each goal. Don’t forget to assign the one task that you will do each day, week, or month that gets you closer to your nearest benchmark.
It sounds like a lot of work, but a well-thought out plan allows you to track your progress, and putting it on your calendar places it as an important task that must be done like any other important appointment.
What’s interesting about goals is that we can’t account for everything. Our goals may change along the way as circumstances in our life changes and evolves. We may find something that we like better or the goal may morph into something more. We may be faced with challenges that may alter the direction or timelines of our goals.
The point is, the better life that you create for yourself, the better you are able to be for those who are important to you. And the people in your life will change. Cherish those who support and encourage you, relieve yourself of those who discourage you. Everybody should have their Success Support Group or biggest fans.
Now is a great time to plan who you want to be in ten years. Start creating your own life now, don’t let other people determine who you are and what level of success you are able to achieve. Do them for yourself, that’s the only person that matters. We are all unique and gifted. What is important to me, would not be necessarily important to you. That doesn’t matter. Design your roadmap and make your dreams come true.
I’m cheering for you!
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