Do you have your long term goals written down? Or do you have a dream board in your office? Is this the time of year when you start thinking of New Year’s Resolutions?
How lucky am I to have my birthday so close to the end of the calendar year, because I tend to look at my new age as a challenge to set new goals and make new plans. I find it helpful to look back at what I accomplished in the last year as well.
This past year, I learned how to run, thanks to a beautiful long-time friend who needed a buddy to keep her from the late-winter, early-spring blahs. I spoke at an event celebrating Oprah’s visit to Ottawa and simultaneously launched my book, Being Human: Inspiration for Balancing Mind Body and Spirit—a lifelong dream of becoming a published author came true. I decided to change my old Health and Wellness Consulting business to a Co-Active Coaching career. I took a fabulous summer vacation with my family and hiked in the Rockies. I made a slew of new friends by getting out from behind my computer screen and into the business world. And the last accomplishment of my 41st year was to blog for the Huffington Post, four days before my birthday!
What have you done over the last year that you can be proud of? Go ahead! Make a list of your accomplishments.
Now, I am happy to set new goals for the year, which must be grandiose because, after all, 42 is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the Universe and everything. I am choosing to post them publicly, because I’m crazy like that… and I hope by doing this it will help me be accountable.
This year I want to: run in a 5 km race, write my second book, land a literary agent, find the ideal business partner, go to lunch with Cheryl Richardson, Reid Tracey and Oprah Winfrey, and have the Universe provide the money to either install a pool in our backyard or purchase a cottage for my family to use next summer.
Your turn!
Take some time to write down what you want your life to look like a year from now. Make sure your goals are holistic and include your physical health, personal/spiritual pursuits, your career, and your friends and family. There are many ways of doing this from the soft-focused and creative dream board, to journaling, to the get-down-to-business S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) goal setting with timelines and measurable outcomes. You know yourself well enough to know what works for you. If you ever need help or accountability, I am always here, just send me an email.
For those of you who are brave enough… I would love to see you share some of your goals in the comments below!