Take a few moments in the coming days to pause for just a bit. Find a quiet place to sit down with a pad of paper and pen and make some notes of your most memorable moments of the last twelve months. Sometimes it helps to start in January and work your way through to the end of the year. It doesn’t have to be a highly detailed list, just bullet-points will do. Perhaps there was the birth of a new family member, an anniversary, a promotion, a special dinner you planned with friends, a new business or great new account, a child’s graduation, a project you completed, a vacation, etc.

Once you have your year’s “greatest hits” list take just a quick moment to let the last year “sink in”. We get so caught up in getting things done that we don’t always take a moment to appreciate what we have accomplished. Take a moment to find some satisfaction in what’s happened and how you made an impact. Celebrate.

Now take another look at your list. What you have on your list can say a great deal about you. Think of your list as the start of your “report” on the last year.

Here are some things to consider about your list:

Accomplishment “Thinking”

Was it easy for you to even start the list? Do you regularly note when you experienced an “event” or “moment”? If not, then start making it a regular practice. Write a quick note in your planner or on the calendar the day it happens. Make it easy to take account of your “moments”.

Balanced

Are there just as many personal and family moments as there are work and business moments? Don’t forget to “live” your life. Sometimes we have to make plans and “force” ourselves to do things out of our normal routine. It’s great to have your list of professional and business goals, but don’t forget about your list of personal and family goals!

Looking Ahead

How can you make next year even better? What might you have accomplished in the last year if only you’d planned a bit better? What should be your Top 5 professional and personal goals for the coming year? What’s something you’ve REALLY wanted to accomplish in your life? Can you at least start down that path in the coming months?

It is the most wonderful time of the year because it’s the close of one period in our lives, but also the opening of a brand new opportunity.

You do have accomplishments from the last year. You have proven that you can get things done. But only you can turn your passions and dreams into reality, and you do that by setting and reaching even small goals. Decide what you want, what you’re going to do to get it, write it down and start doing it. Don’t take it lightly, live your life “on purpose.”

Happy Holidays!

If your goals are going to be such an integral part of your life, then now is the time to ask another important question: What kind of life do you want to be living?

Do you want a nose-to-the-grindstone, “Not now, son, I’ve got to take this call,” 70-hour work week kind of life? Or would you also like to maybe have some fun at the same time?

You may follow everything “by the book” and have even put “have a fun life” on your goals list, but then “have a fun life” becomes a one-line goal item and not something you fold into everything. Keeping the “main thing the main thing” means that while you’re working on achieving your goals, you’re also living the fun, creative, fulfilling life that you want – all at the same time! And believe it or not, you’re living your life right NOW, as you go; it’s not something you’re waiting for or have to earn by meeting your own high (and sometimes unrealistic) standards.

Today, I want you to think about how you can fold some fun right into your daily work and life. I want you to be excited to get up in the morning and get going on your day. Let’s get you primed to take positive actions towards meeting your goals!

Manage your mindset

Find a buddy to share your goals with, but challenge yourself to only speak positively about your progress. Don’t get bogged down by things you have no control over, and don’t focus on how far you may still have to go (just look how far you’ve come!).

Make mistakes

Take some risks and find the joy in trying something new. Don’t be so afraid of doing it wrong that you do nothing at all! Every mistake…every “try” leads you closer to success, because it’s one more thing you can cross off the list.

Mark the milestones along the way

Make it fun and rewarding to succeed and you’ll want to keep doing it. And you can apply the same principle if you’re working on a team. Set lots of short-term “mini” goals so you can celebrate more often. Yes – celebrating is mandatory.

“Fun” really does have a place on your goals or “things to do” list, but not just as a stand alone item – build it into everything. Have fun as you go, and you’ll keep everyone’s morale up – including your own. When you cultivate strong, positive feelings and find the good news in every situation, and then share that attitude with everyone around you, you will have more and bigger successes to celebrate.

That positive outlook will be reflected back to you; others will flock to be near you and will want to help you create even more success. That is the Law of Attraction at work.

YOU can make it a GREAT day!

Making decisions about what’s important in your life, where you want to go, and who you want to be – is easier when you have a goal, because if you’re honest with yourself you know in your head and in your gut if a particular choice is leading you towards your goal or away from it.

When you don’t have a goal – a roadmap, life can be aimless, stagnant, or even self-destructive.

Here are the Top 10 Qualities of Your Next Winning Goal:

1. Fun.  When the game is fun, the goals get done. Whatever your goal, make sure it’s something you can enjoy working towards. Find a path to the finish line that makes use of your strengths and gives you opportunities for connection, fulfillment and joy.
2. Realistic.  Your goal needs to be realistic and not too lofty – a marathon runner aims to run one mile, 26 times. Use your track record of meeting or not meeting previous goals as your guide. Not meeting your goals has as much to teach you as meeting them – instead of giving up, break the goal down further.
3. Personal.  Goals need to be something you want to achieve, based on your own passion and vision. If a goal is something you or someone else thinks you “should” do, it’s not your goal.  It MUST be YOUR goal.  Own it.
4. Concrete.  Your goal needs to be tangible and definable. “I’m going to spend more time with my children,” is an admirable thought. “I’m going to spend 30-minutes reading a bedtime story to my children every night,” is a goal.  It’s defined and it’s measurable.
5. Revered.  Achieving a goal is cause for celebration. Too often people swing from berating themselves for not working hard enough or letting themselves off the hook, to shrugging off their accomplishments because they’re too busy chasing the next goal.  Recognize your hard work – and note that you’re making progress.
6. Extraordinary.  Eleanor Roosevelt implored, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Your goal should be outside of your comfort zone, outside of your job description, outside of your daily routines and rituals that you’re going to do anyway. We set a goal when we want to do MORE or do better.
7. Flexible.  You may need to shift and adapt your goals if you find you’re consistently off track. How can you think outside of the box and still get where you want to go?  Don’t let one setback derail your entire plan.  Be prepared to take a step back, assess the situation and get back in the game – perhaps with a revised plan.  Don’t quit.
8. Applied.  You can only turn your passions and dreams into reality by setting and reaching your goals. Make this new effort part of your everyday routine.  Apply to how you think and what you do – and it will change the way you feel.  Decide what you want, what you’re going to do to get it, write it down and start doing it. Don’t take it lightly, live your life “on purpose.”
9. Top-of-mind. Goals need your attention, or they can be easily obliterated by daily life; other things will inevitably become more important and take over. Make your goals fit in with what you also want to do for your family, career and community, so that you’re not choosing between them.  This is important – YOU are important.
10. Shared.  Goals need to be spoken out loud, committed and shared. When someone else knows what you’re trying to accomplish, you give them the opportunity to support you. And for them, you’re a living role model of inspiration, passion and purpose.

If your previous attempts to improve yourself have failed, go back to the drawing board and make sure that you’re working towards the right goal. Once you set a winning goal for yourself, the road to change becomes clear.

You have the power within you – right now, to change your life. The first step is to change your mind – about who you are, what you want, what you’ll accept in your life – and what you want to achieve.

Let’s work on this together. Let’s take this journey side-by-side.

Live your life with purpose – and on purpose.