Have you designed your perfect year yet?

I must confess, I am a big goal setter.

I set goals in all areas of my life; these include business, fitness, spiritual/personal development goals and Social. I write them down and review them every 90 days. I find 90 days is long enough to review where I am up to make any necessary changes if I have to, or in some cases, change the plan.

I have found setting goals in my life has many advantages

1. You have something to aim for everyday
2. It gives you miles more energy and purpose
3. It forces you to take action, when you don’t want to
4. It is motivational
5. If you reach, or in some cases surpass your goals, then it is motivational and of course there is a tremendous sense of achievement.

Number three is the most important for me, let me tell you why. Just before Christmas, I signed up to the Wilmslow Half Marathon at the end of March. I have not run for ages and as soon as I signed up, I set a plan and set some weekly goals. Because the goal has been set, a plan in place, I woke up early on Christmas Day and ran just over 4.5 miles on the nature trail near where I live. In Manchester, on Christmas Day, it was a bright and sunny day and it was one of many highlights of the Xmas Break for me.

Only this morning, I woke at 6.15a.m. put my running shoes on and went for an early morning jog before work. I would not even think about it, if I did not have the goal to run the Half Marathon in three months.

Of course the most important goal is the business one. These often impact all the other goals one way or another. But again, the main advantage is that it forces me to take certain actions that I don’t want to do, or don’t feel For example writing these newsletters early on a Sunday Morning, or speaking to clients late at night, after I have been teaching a programme for 12 hours. It motivates you, because without taking all these little actions, my goal will not be met.

We have 360 days of the year left, I can promise you one thing, they will fly. Before you know it will be 2016.

Are you designing your ideal year, or are you going to let the year pass you by again? As you write your goals, vision for the ideal 2015, here are a just few rules that I abide by.

1. Write them down, if it’s not in writing, it’s not a goal. An unwritten want is a wish, a dream, a never-happen. If it’s in writing, it’s a commitment.
2. If it’s not specific, it’s not a goal. Broad desires and wishes have no effect. It must be concrete.
3. Goals must be believable. If you don’t believe you can achieve the goal, you won’t pay the price for it. You won’t take the actions when you don’t want to do them.
4. An effective goal is an exciting challenge. It must demand your best and a bit more or it isn’t going to change your ways and elevate your lifestyle.
5. Dynamic goals guide our choices. If you want it badly enough, you’ll turn off the TV and get to it. You will read the Business book that has been on your shelf instead, learn and apply new ideas.
6. Maintain a balance between long-term and short-term goals. Long-term goals tend to be hidden in a fog of the future, so have some short-term goals – like a weekend getaway, a new item of clothing, — to keep your excitement up.
7. Include your partner and of course your team if necessary. Involve them and they will encourage you when you need it.
8. Set goals in all areas of your life. Have other goals besides career objectives. Put your holidays in your diary now.
9. Review your goals often; change your plan if necessary.
10. Set vivid goals. Define not only what you want but by when you want it, and concentrate on it for a few moments every day.
11. Set tasks to complete every day. That way you will achieve something useful every day, remember everything counts. Visualize yourself possessing what you’ve set your goals for.
12. Set activity goals, not production goals. Activity will lead to production by itself.
Design your perfect 2015 and do it now. You have a lot of say in making this happen.

Don’t get to the end of the year with a ‘I wish I would have done this list’