If you tried the
exercise yesterday you’ve come up with your list of things that went right last
year and a few things you’d change.
Here’s your assignment
for the weekend: Imagine it’s December 31, 2013. What are the 3-5 goals,
accomplishments or activities that, if you can make them happen in 2013, will
mean you’ve had a great year?
Writer and futurist,
Jim Collins, author of Good to Great,
says if you have more than 3 goals you really don’t have any. If you have many
more than that the whole process gets unwieldy and too complicated…but you can
stretch it to 5 if you’d like.
So, what are your 3-5
goals? Don’t forget to be specific. Saying, “I want to be happy” isn’t a goal,
it’s a wish. What specific goals, accomplishments or activities give you the
feeling of being happy? Being with a specific person or family? (How often and
in what types of situations?) Losing weight? (How much and by when?) Making
more money? (How much and by when?)
Most people don’t like
to think in these terms because it takes too much thinking time and effort…and,
if they don’t reach the goals they feel like failures. The reality is that ANY
progress in the direction of your goals is good thing.
And, if you truly want
to feel happy most of the research shows striving for worthwhile goals is a
great way to create feelings we all interpret as happiness.
Finally, how will you
track your progress? You could use something as simple as a notebook with goals
listed (your probability of success jumps dramatically when you write down your
goals), your cellphone, a list on a sheet of paper on your refrigerator…it
doesn’t matter how you do it…just keep track of how you’re doing.
Go online to changeanything.com and you’ll see a process to
make successful changes in your life.
Does this seem like too
much trouble? For most folks it will be. That’s why most folks, as Thoreau
said, “Live lives of quiet desperation.”
What would make next
year a wonderful year? What would it take to make it the best year of your
life?
Think about it over
the weekend…see you on Monday…New Year’s Eve!