Year-End Goal Setting – What Do You Think?

2012 is coming to an end.

2013 is just around the corner.

Do you do any year-end goal setting before the New Year hits?

Is it effective for you?  How do you manage and follow through on the goals you set?  What keeps you motivated for the long haul?

I have to admit that my experience with New Year’s goal setting has been pretty hit and miss (probably mostly miss!).

There are some things that I know I want to be different in the coming year.  I feel like I can just sit down and chat with you like a close friend.  So if you’ll let me be a bit self-indulgent, I’m just gonna riff about some things I hope for myself–and for you–in the coming year.

My Year-End Riff

My career’s gotta change.  Big time.

CAREER
I’m in my 30′s now and I’m not professionally where I want to be.  What about you?  Is career a point in which you want to make some drastic changes this year?

If so, what tools are you using to help you make those changes?  Do you have any benchmarks set for what you hope to accomplish?

I do know this much, if you don’t know where you’re going, you probably won’t end up there.  I don’t have a specific format (like S.M.A.R.T.) for goal-setting, but you gotta find something that works for you and then you just gotta work it! (That’s the hardest part)

RELATIONSHIP
How is the health of your primary relationship?  Do you want (or need) to make some changes in 2013?

In this area, I’m doing okay because I’ve made it a priority.  I don’t want to shift this priority, but I could do better.  I need to be more intentional and clear in my communication.  Like a car, I just need to buff things out and shine them up a bit–do some fine tuning.

Whether you need a relationship overhaul or just a tune up, I have a couple of tips.

Number one–educate yourself. Find the area you have trouble with–like setting boundaries or communicating clearly–whatever it is, search out good resources and support to help you develop better skills in that area.

Number two–get support.  Most of us–myself included–think we can handle it.  That’s when things start to fall apart and it’s too late to do the minor adjustments that should have been made months (or maybe years) ago.  Somehow, we feel that counseling and professional support in our relationships is only for the people who can’t “get it right.”

Building a healthy relationship is a skill.  If you’ve never done it or you haven’t been trained to do it, you need to set yourself up for success.  Take classes.  Get a good marriage and family therapist.  They will have tools you can to improve your communication.

If you implement them, you will be amazed what can happen in a relatively short amount of time. (Can you tell I’m speaking from experience? Just do what you need to do. It’s so worth it).

Then…you just gotta work it–kinda like the goal-setting plan.  This can be awkward. When we get into relationships, we tend to fall into patterns of behavior.

(Hold on…gotta change the laundry. No, seriously, I’m in the middle of laundry writing this and realized that both machines are silent…brb)

Okay, Facebook is the devil when you’re in the middle of trying to write a blog post!

Back to relationships…we fall into these patterns of behavior–and communication–which then can trap us in comfort and unconsciousness.  Sometimes we know something needs to change, but we just don’t have the energy to do it so we say, “I don’t know what to do.”

You always know. Your soul knows. If you will get still and practice honoring your own integrity and intuition you can create clarity.  Then you will have to summon the courage to take action based on that clarity.

It may be a difficult conversation you know you need to have…or it may just be setting a healthy boundary regarding some disrespect that has snuck into your relationship…but you need to act on what you know.

FINANCES
Because this is so closely related to career, I need some work in this regard as well.  The good thing is that I’ve done my education when it comes to personal finances.

A few years ago, I cut up my credit cards and determined to get out of debt.  Fortunately, I’ve never gone back so I don’t have that hanging over my head.  However, I haven’t put a lot of effort and focus into continuing to build on that great foundation I set by paying off my bills.

I need to create some stability in my income and then take serious action in this area of finances (specifically saving and investing).

What about you? Are you drowning?

Don’t lose hope if you are. I used to have $20+K in consumer credit debt.  I had a car payment and a house payment, etc.  It took me a couple of years to pay it off and sell the house, but it was worth it.  Don’t give up.

If you have already got finances under your belt, what has been your “secret”?  What helped you to gain traction in the area of your finances?  I would love to hear your tips.

And then what plans do you have in this area for the coming year?  Please don’t share personal financial details, but I would love to hear your dreams for 2013.

PHYSICAL
As most of you know, I’ve had some health challenges recently.  About 2 months ago, I came down with an outbreak of the shingles.  I learned a valuable lesson in the importance of self care.  I had been constantly stressing myself, and my immune system took a dive.  I’m still building it back up.

This area can be really overwhelming to a lot of people because many of us realize how delinquent we are in exercise and diet.  I’m not a physical fitness expert.  But I know what doesn’t work for me.

It doesn’t work to hit the gym for an hour or two per day.

It doesn’t work to pull all carbs and refined sugars from my diet suddenly.

Drastic change is hard to sustain–for anyone.

We all are where we are as a result of the incremental choices we make.

So, if you need to work on your physical fitness or health, make a plan. Then work the plan.  Set small steps.

For me, this would be things like.

1. Limit drinks with high fructose corn syrup (like sodas and juices)

2. Drink lots of water–I already do this, just by slowly making it a habit.

3. Order junior or “lunch” portions when I go to a restaurant.

4. Look for a more healthy alternative at a restaurant (I love bacon cheeseburgers…but I don’t have to have one every time I go out)

Once you take these baby steps and they are habits, then you can ramp it up to cut out all soda, etc.  Whatever you decide is good for you.

Follow your gut. Do what feels good and makes you feel good (physically, mentally and emotionally), but take it in baby steps.

/rant

Looking Ahead

At the beginning, I mentioned that career is going to be a major focus of my energy in 2013.

When I started 2012, my motto was to craft a well-lived life…and to help you do the same.

I have refined that and clarified that intention.  Here is my new goal.

To create a life and career that sustains me and enriches others

Of course, I have to work hard to really flesh this out and describe what it means first in my own life so that I can make it relevant in the lives of others.

True Spiritual Awakening

This site won’t change–at least the mission of it won’t.  I may do upgrades or cosmetic face lifts to improve the user experience.

I love to connect with you through the site. I love to teach–it’s what I’m meant to do.  I will continue to share my wisdom.

I do want to improve the way in which I do this.

I want to create information that is more and more useful.  I want to share insights that really help you get a handle on your own life issues.  In short I really want to help you live a kick-ass life.

Behind the Scenes

As part of this process, I want to begin to share some “behind the scenes” type posts.

I want to share lessons I’ve learned, but I want to do it by taking you along for the ride–so you can see the lesson as it plays out in my life–and then you can apply it to yours more effectively.

For example, I’m thinking about doing a series of posts on the book-writing process.  One of my friends recently had a successful book launch.  But I’ve done it the wrong way.

I know not everyone is a writer or wants to write a book, but a lot of you do–or have at least thought of it.  Admit it!

I’d love to share what I learned and what I’ll do differently the next time.

What I Know

All of us know more than we think we do.  I’m reading the Millionaire Messanger by Brendon Burchard right now and one of the exercises the author has you do is list things you know about a variety of topics.  I was really kinda shocked at how much I knew.

It struck me that some of my unique expertise would be helpful to others. So, I would like to take some of those ideas and create some reports and e-books to provide here on the site.

A Final Thought for 2012

I know this post has been long (now nearly 1500 words).  If you’ve stuck with me, thanks.

Recently I saw Danielle LaPorte post this brief note on her Facebook page.

Over the past day or so, I’ve been a bit obsessed with this thought: Be The Global You.

This is my wish for you in the coming year–that you would find that thing that is uniquely you and you would treasure, cherish and celebrate it in every area of your life.  And if you have found your “thing,”  you would realize what a special gift that is and share your experience, knowledge and love with those around you.

So many of us are still searching, testing and experimenting and we all need a little encouragement that we’re on the right track.

(Here’s a hint: You are on the right track–life is the track!)

Would really appreciate your insights, disagreements, rants and riffs for 2012 or 2013.  Please comment below.  Then do me a favor and share this post.

Photo Credit: John Carleton