I don't want to WISH you a Happy New Year. I want to give you the choice to MAKE a Happy New Year.
As a G.P.S. (Getting You Prepared For Success) Relationship Coach, my clients are always seeking way to bring more joy into their life and reduce the stress and overwhelm.
Instead of stating resolutions for 2009, choose one area of your life that you would like to set intentions and goals for the first 90 days of the year, and develop a strategic plan to get you there. Just like I ask my coaching clients, I am going to ask you: "What would you like to accomplish in the next 90 days?"
Here are 10 steps for setting and reaching your goals.
1. Identify a 90–day Goal. Identify one or two major things in your life that you would like to accomplish or change within the next 90 days. Ninety days is a much more manageable length of time than a year, and allows us to enjoy reaching our goals more often. Realistically, sustained change and discipline will need to take place over six months to “shift” behaviors and patterns that you have established the last 20+ years.
2. Focus on the “Vital Few” and release the “Trivial Many.” What would you like to accomplish? What do you think could happen if you spent 80 % of your time working on the major projects and goals that will help you achieve your goals?
One way to find out, is to start your day by writing a list of major tasks you want to accomplish by the end of the day. Then before you actually schedule it, ask yourself:
“Will this meeting or action item/task mobilize me to accomplish one of my 90-day goals?”
If the answer is “no”, then “drop” it from your list. Or leave it for the last 20-30 minutes of the work day.
3. Make Your Plan, and Work Your Plan. Look at your goals list each day. Prioritize what you absolutely want to accomplish each day by blocking “ME” time on your calendar to schedule “specific” time to complete task(s) you want to accomplish.
IF you know you are ‘fresh’ and energized in the morning, schedule your tasks that require quiet time the first hour or two of your day. Schedule time to reply to e-mails, return phone calls, and attend meetings or 1:1s in the latter part of the afternoon. Leave the administrative tasks (making copies, filing papers, faxing documents etc) to the end of the day when it doesn’t require as much energy or focus to accomplish those menial tasks.
4. Schedule tasks in writing so you see them. It does not matter how strong your memory might be, it's still not as strong as the weakest “ink.” There is power in writing things down because it reminds you of where you want to go. So when life gets busy and stressful (as in most of the time), you are much less likely to get distracted long enough to lose your focus. It also gives you something to “check off” as completed, at the end of the day.
5 Identify a successful person. Find people who have done what you want to do and follow “the trail” they have left. Success always leaves a trail that if we learn how to follow can save us frustration and time.
As a G.P.S. Relationship Coach, I ask my clients to develop a strategic plan to follow to achieve their goals, why don’t we develop a plan rather than resolutions in 2009?
Choose one area of your life that you would like to focus on in the next 90 days. You may want to consider using a G.P.S. Relationship Coach to help you keep on track and arrive at your destination.
6. Create a map. As a G.P. S. (Getting YOU Positioned for Success”) Relationship Coach, I guide my clients to develop a strategic plan to achieve their goals. If you wanted to travel across unfamiliar territory you would consult a map. When you use your GPS navigation system in your car or on your cell phone, you indicate where you are now, and you also have to “plug in” where you want to go as a final destination.
As a G.P.S. Relationship Coach, I guide you to identify where you are, and where you want to go. I partner with you to keep you on track until you reach your destination.
Here is a powerful step to create your own map. Ask yourself "What are all the necessary actions I need to take to get to where I want to go?" and write down the actions you decide on and follow them. I would invite you to consider using a G.P.S. Relationship Coach to keep you accountable for the goals you set, to mobilize you to achieve your goals.
7. Be disciplined and consistent. It's rarely one big effort that helps us achieve our goals. More often, it's small consistent actions taken each and every day
Look at your plan and schedule time each day to work on your number 1 and number 2 goals you want to achieve in 90 days. It's all too easy to cross the finish line and stop doing all the things that got you where you wanted to go. Keep doing what has worked, and perhaps do even more of it. It takes 21 days to change a habit.
8. Acknowledge Yourself and Celebrate. Acknowledge and reward yourself for accomplishing a milestone. Once you accomplish a goal, persevere. While you are doing this, celebrate.
One of the best things about achieving goals is celebrating how far you have come. Acknowledge yourself when you reach a milestone on your plan. This builds momentum for the next 90 days.
When you have almost accomplished your first 90-day goal(s), begin to update your plan and develop a new plan for the second quarter of the year. Continue writing 90-day plans for each quarter of the year. You will be amazed at how much you will achieve by the end of the year.
Respecting and honoring your life journey,
Lynne Rosiak, MA in Education and MS in Spiritual Psychology., your G.P.S. Relationship Coach. E-mail her at lynne@lifequestmentoring.com
For more tips and tools for living, you click on www.lifequestmentoring.com to view Lynne’s website or www.lifequestmentoring/net for Lynne’ blog.
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