What Are Your Goals For 2012? It's Time To Write Them Down
Now that we’re getting to the end of 2011, as most of us do, I’ve begun to reflect back on my year. There are typically a couple of simple questions I like to ask myself. What went well this year? What may have I done differently? With the benefit of hindsight..I usually have a few I would change, but I can say that over that last few years I’ve been fortunate enough to check off more in the positive category than the negative.
The one thing that notoriously nags me year after year is that I always feel as if I could do more, both personally and professionally. I know that sounds a bit hokie…but if you’re honest with yourself deep down you’re probably thinking the same thing.
A few years back my president was kind enough to give me book for the holidays. It was effectively a work book that forced me to question myself. Not in a bad way by any means, but it made me think of what I could be doing better in all aspects of my life and if I’m actually setting the goals to get there.
According to the book, people who regularly write their goals down earn nine times as much over their lifetime as the people who don’t. More importantly they were much happier people in general because they didn’t exclusive set goals toward their financial success. It could be getting into shape or reading a book a month or having a date night every other week with your better half. It’s all about being more well rounded and not putting things off.
So what’s the point? I think we all tend to have a “to do” list rolling around in our head so maybe it’s time to start getting your goals down on paper.
Here are a few areas I want to focus on personally and professionally next year in no particular order:
- Think more globally about the things that will grow AG Salesworks
- Read 6 books (1 every other month is doable, even for me)
- Be more open to ideas proposed by my new hires
- Teach my 4 year old to ski
- Learn to draw the line when the situation calls for it (As a manager I can’t always be everyone’s friend)
- Eliminate my credit card debt
- Challenge my team more rather than thinking I always need to solve the problem
- Take my better half on trip…without my kids
- Never be complacent
Come to think of it I’m going to have everyone on my team run through this exercise before we all jet off for the holidays.
I look back at some of the goals I set for myself when I received that book from my president a few years back. I see some things that I’ve accomplished, and others that I’m woefully short of. It reminds me that there is always room for improvement and the first person I need to critique is myself.
So have you starting writing down your goals yet? My suggestion would be to start small. For example: What are the 3 things you want to accomplish in January?
Good luck and I hope you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!