New Year, New Results, New Life
Every year I take some time to review the past year and focus on the next. This is the best exercise I've ever seen for turning dreams into action.
Success and failure has to do with remember our abilities. Getting bogged down with past patterns paralyzes our future. Make your goals real by extracting everything you can from last year. Use it as a weapon and learn from the past. Extract the best and learn from the challenges. If there’s one thing you can use, it’s something to look forward to.
What’s missing in your life? What’s keeping you from accomplishing what God has called you to do? Likely, it’s the fact that there is no compelling future to guide you.
The Seven Step Process for maximizing your year:
1. Get clear about what happened in 2009.
First, what were the magic moments in 2009?
What did you accomplish in 2009? You can only build on success, that’s where momentum comes from. Whether depression, sadness, or fruitfulness and happiness. You’ve got to get that initial momentum. What were the decisions that shifted things, health, business, relationships?
What are some things you want to duplicate? What would like to repeat? What choices worked for you? What great things would you like to carry over?
What was frustrating in 2009? What did you hate? What was disappointing?
What do you not want to duplicate? What will you not stand for? What made your life weak when you settled for lower expectations? What did you learn from these experiences? What was painful, but valuable?
What decisions did you make that were empowering? A real decision you acted on that may have been hard but got you where you wanted to be? Maybe it was a decision of something you stopped. What did you decide to change? Which decision do you want to carry over to next year? Squeeze the juice out of 2009. Two things are sure to shape your life: big rewards and big pain.
2. Get certain! If you’re going to change anything, certainty must drive your decisions. The difference between David Beckham and others is this: the person who is most certain dominates things. Learn how to lock yourself in place. Change your state and your physiology…a metaphor for the fire in your life.
Write down as many things as you can think of that are in your life today that use to be goals. Is there somebody in your life today you didn’t think would be there? Do things exist now you used to take for granted? We forget that if we can dream about anything, we can make it real. You simply need to show yourself how you did it. I’ve always dreamed…and now I have it. How did you do that? What was the dream that’s now reality?
Circle two or three things that were impossible or difficult. How did you accomplish it? You decided this is something you must have…you focused on it continuously. Wherever focus goes, energy flows. This is called, “Formative Causation.” There is something connected with your ability to decide and the results that occur. Thoughts are things. Thoughts with certainty start to manifest. We always think about the negative,but when you focus on this, what happens? The negative happens. It’s called, “self-fulfilling prophecies.” Get really clear and go for what’s in your heart.
3. Get excited. Energy is the force that makes life work. There is power and energy inside of you. Let go of your fear to get your hopes up. Take ten minutes and write down everything you wish to do to master, helping people, personal development, a foundation, non-profit ministry, your spiritual life, writing a book, becoming a public speaker, or going on a trip What do you want to see, how do you want to give your life away, what do you want your life to look like? Write as fast as you can without thinking.
4. Get focused. Now, circle all of you top goals. Which of these will I achieve in 1, 5, 10 and 20 years? What are the top 4 one year goals you will achieve? What will get you up early and keep you up late? Write a paragraph as to why this is a must for you. Reasons come first, answers come second.
5. Get committed. Now that you are focused on these four goals, schedule some action. The big question is, “What are some things you need to do right away to move toward this?” Never, never, never leave the site of making a new distinction and learning something without taking some action in the next moment of attainment. People make goals and never look at them again. When you are ‘in state’ make a decision! Do something in the moment.
6. Get momentum. What’s the hardest part of working out? Getting to the gym of course. Progress works for you. The first step is the hardest. Think of one of those goals, what’s one of the most important things you want to accomplish in 2008? What will give you more joy, and how can you give more to the people you love? Change happens in a moment. The second you say, that’s it, I’m doing it. I’m completely out of shape, so I’m going to walk for 30 minutes a day. Don’t wait for the right shoes, or the right time, now! What’s one small thing you can do to make a step toward your goals? If you were serious about changing something, no more excuses, if you were committed to changing your career, or time off, what’s the big step that would commit you?
7. Get smart. Make sure you follow through. Do something immediately. Set up a system of measurement. You’ve got to be able measure yourself. Write it down and create a strategy. Keep that strategy in front of you at all times so you can weigh your progress. You can’t manage something you can’t measure. Knowing someone’s going to call or follow up, gives you that edge you need to succeed. Check it once a month, and you get twelve times to make it better, once a week, once a day, it’s going to happen! Get a system or hire a personal coach, the accountability is worth it.
