Halfway through – checking progress

As we cross into July, I am reminded that with six months down, I have now used up half of the available capacity 2013 offered me to achieve the goals which I set for the year. Am I halfway there? More? Less?

Pull out the goals you wrote at the first of the year and ask yourself some questions. Be honest and then decide what you need to do over the remaining six months to call 2013 a win.

1. Have you measured any progress at all? Make sure you celebrate any wins, even moderate ones. Most people I know focus more on the things that aren’t done yet, but forget to rejoice over what has gotten accomplished.

2. Are you satisfied with your progress? If you are dissatisfied with your progress in any area, are there any mental or schedule blocks that are keeping you from making the progress you’d like? Address these. (Here’s a post regarding the margin you’ll need to make progress on goals.)

2. Are there any goals which seem more or less important than they did January 1? Perhaps a family situation has caused one of your goals to seem unimportant at all? Adjust for these.

3. Are there any new goals you would set based on how the year has gone so far? Remember that you want your goals to be moderately ambitious, but not too much so. If you have already met one of your 2013 goals, maybe you should set an additional goal to work toward unless your other goals will require increased focus. (Goal-setting tips, if you need them.)

4. Based on your revised goals for the year, decide on one action you can take THIS WEEK to make progress on at least two of your goals.

A wise man told me people overestimate how much they can get done in a year, and underestimate how much they can get done in ten years. I have found this to be very true, so pace yourself, but set your mind toward progress.

Final tip – take five minutes to write yourself a note in your calendar for August 1 – “Check goals”!

Secret of Success for New Year goals and resolutions

Statistics suggest that very few people are successful at achieving goals and resolutions. For many, this is due to not setting a plan toward success. A goal with no plan to achieve it is simply a hope.

Another factor though, necessary to achieve your new years goals and resolutions, is margin. Consider finances: if you are spending every penny you make on regular living expenses, you have no additional resources to give away, to invest or to pay down debt. Creating margin in your finances is necessary to achieve whatever financial goals you set.

This is also true with time. If your daily life is filled with work and personal activities that do not contribute to your goals (no time for exercise, e.g.), then you have to make time for those things by creating margin in your schedule.

With money, margin can come through earning more, but all of us are bound by the 168 hour week. To get more time, you either have to get more efficient or cut some things from your list. Look at your regular weekly activities and ask yourself which ones are less important than achieving the goals you set for the year. Find a way to cut and then fill that time with activities that will propel you toward success.

How will you create margin? And what will you do with it?