New Year, New Goals
Every holiday for the past 20-plus years, I have sat down with my wife to discuss the previous year and think about the upcoming year. We consider what we've accomplished and what we want to accomplish during the coming 12 months. Certainly, we've experienced difficult economic swings along with the positives. And always, there are new challenges.
We've saved these as written documents, and whenever I reread our goals from years past, it makes me appreciate life more fully. However, the most important thing to learn from this exercise is that there are no unrealistic goals -- only unrealistic timeframes.
As Acumen Management moves into our 13th year (yikes!), I thought I might share the various categories we use to focus ourselves. It's my hope that if you haven't created a formal one-, five- or 15-year plan, you'll consider it. Start with 2010 and build from there.
- Social: What will we do to have a full social life with friends? Dinner parties?
- Personal: What do I want to do this year? Travel?
- Physical: How will we continue to be healthy? Run two miles a day?
- Professional: What are my career goals? Gain a promotion?
- Financial: What are my objectives as they relate to money? Pay off the mortgage?
- House: What are our major projects? Build a backyard patio?
- Societal: How will I give back to society to make it a better place? Work in food banks?
One of the major issues to not only make the objectives or achievements about just you. In one of my keynotes, "The Passion of Impact," I address the need for personal and professional life balance. The real success lies in the ability to positively impact the lives of others, and how YOUR life will grow because of the feeling you get from helping someone else. Make this a better place or help someone make their lives more livable. Make that a part of your yearly plan, as well.
All the best in 2010, and think positive!
Ken Thoreson, president of Acumen Management Group Ltd., "operationalizes" sales management systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh zone. During the past 12 years, our consulting, advisory and platform services have illuminated, motivated and rejuvenated the sales efforts for partners throughout North America. Move up and move ahead! Acumen Management provides keynotes, consulting services and products designed to improve business performance. 3f4qb8v9ge
Posted by Ken Thoreson on January 06, 2010