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Kathy Martin: 027 2800 564
Recent Focus December 2007
Estimated reading time for this issue: under 5 minutes
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Where are you headed in 2008?
Where are you headed next year? Or the next 5 years? Or the next 10 years? Come to that … where is your life headed? …….
What direction are you travelling in?
I thought this a timely question to ask as we approach the last days of 2007. In amongst all the trappings of Christmas and the things to do, gifts to buy, functions to attend, family to see …. or negotiate our way around not seeing ….. at the back of our minds is that yet another year is drawing to a close – and fast.
So what did we achieve this year? Did we accomplish what we set out to do? Do we have cause to celebrate on New Years Eve? (Some of us will say just being here on 31st December is cause to celebrate!) But the important question is … where are we going next year?
What direction are YOU headed in?
If you don’t know, now is a very good time to find out. The Christmas/New Year break gives you a bit of downtime, thinking time, planning time. “Working on the future” time, instead of just “passing time”.
What goals are you going to set for 2008? And where are you going to look when you set those goals?
Most of us usually do our goal setting in a back to front kind of way – we look to the past to set goals for the future. When you hear it like that it doesn’t sound so smart does it …. looking in the rear-view mirror while you’re trying to drive forwards? Chances are you’ll end up with goals that are hard work, lots of effort, not much fun and not much satisfaction when (and if) you achieve them, goals that don’t excite you, more of the same, no zest, no juice? No wonder! So if you want to set goals that will get you fizzing on the edge of your seat busting to get back into it in January – you’ll need to look somewhere else (other than your past)!
So what’s going to make the difference next year? And you do want a difference….right? Who’s interested in a hum drum year that leaves you yawning … business as usual … just passing time. What’s going to make 2008 an exceptional year - one that sets the standard for years to come?
You’ll need to look at the big picture …. the one called your life (and unless you’re rather unfortunate, it’s not going to end on 31 December 2008). Sure, you can set some goals and objectives to be achieved in the 2008 time frame … but don’t look in that time frame … look outside it - way into your future. And if I was you, I’d make sure it’s a future that inspires and excites you.
“And what would that look like?” I hear you asking. That’s a very good question and 
only you know the answer. If you’re not sure of the answer, I suggest you find out and use it to create a life that energises you. Start asking yourself some questions such as -
- If you had the most extraordinary life possible –what would it look like?
- What components would it have to have?
- How could you tell that your life was extraordinary and how would you know when you had it?
If you can begin to answer these questions you’ll have the start of the picture … one that invigorates you. This is where to look when you set your goals for 2008 and beyond, this is where you’ll find the juice that will keep your goals and your enthusiasm alive way into the future!
Now you may think that this kind of thing is just for wankers (can I say that?) and softies … not your kind of thing. And maybe you’ve always set your goals from the past, and maybe you’ve been really successful at achieving them. What I’m suggesting doesn’t negate any of that, but there is a very good and logical reason to take a look into your future for a while …. because that’s where the stuff is that will light you up, that’s where you’ll find goals that are about you, who you are, and what turns you on.
If you want your goals to be really successful, make sure they are
- Measurable
- Specific
- In time
- Written
- In all areas of your life
AND most importantly -
- You need to desire them and they need to inspire you!
Be a little unreasonable. Don’t play too safe. Find goals that are exciting and sometimes a bit scary. What would you do if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt you could not fail? And how would it be if your life turned out better than you could have possibly imagined?
This kind of planning can have an enormous impact and you can read about the difference Directional Planning is making for one client. If you haven’t done any directional planning, there’s no better time to start than now. It will give you a track to run by, a path to follow, a future to live in to.
So don’t wait to find out what direction you’re headed in. Create a road map for your extraordinary life NOW. After all, it’s a good idea to have one or you could end up somewhere else …
“Alice is completely and thoroughly lost, not knowing which way to turn, so she asks the Cheshire cat, perched rather precariously on a tree limb, for some help.
“Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?” asks Alice.
“That depends a good deal on where you want to go,” replies the cat.
“I don’t much care where,” says Alice.
“Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go,” came the reply.
“So long as I get somewhere,” Alice adds as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” grinned the cat.”
We hope you and your family have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.
Enjoy the festive season! Celebrate your wins and look forward to an exciting 2008!
We have more information on this topic and on conducting a Directional Planning exercise.
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Read the last issue of Recent Focus (Wills, Trusts and other boring but vital stuff)
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