Tag: planning

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”!

Thinking about a new year…

As we come to this time of year, most people are thinking about goals, resolutions, and plans for the coming year. This can be a challenging exercise, but can also be a helpful one to set you off on a good foot into the new year. Here’s a quick and simple way to think about the year ahead:

Take a sheet of paper. Fold it in half and then fold it in half again. Then unfold the paper to its full size.

At the top of each quadrant, write the following words: Career, Financial, Relationships, and Self.

Now within each quadrant, jot down notes about where you’d like to be 12 months from now. Career is an area many people plan goals for, but this is only a portion of your life. Take the time to think about all four of these categories. Relationships should include your spouse, children, other family, and friends. Self should include spiritual, health, personal development, and recreation.

Once you’ve done this, your best chance of achieving these will be if you establish plans for each. If one of your “Self” goals is to be 20 pounds lighter, for example, you’ll need to commit to a plan to achieve that goal.

Next week, I’ve got some thoughts on what section of your life you should focus on to increase your odds of success.

If you find this exercise useful, I’d love to get feedback. Just comment below. (You can repeat the exercise with any four categories if you want, but seeing it all on one piece of paper brings a unique perspective on your world, and one that I have found helpful.)