The end of the year is busier than any other time of the year. We prepare our yards for winter by raking leaves, trimming bushes and putting down winter fertilizer. We prepare for the holidays by planning menus, buying gifts and decorating. We also tend to think about the things we want to accomplish in the coming year. These thoughts may come from events that have occurred in the past year or years. Maybe you or someone in your family got engaged, so you’re thinking about wedding plans. Or a new baby is on the way. Or perhaps you are running a business and need to create your business plan for the next year. Whatever the circumstances may be, you need to plan ahead so that when January 1st arrives, you can hit the ground running!
Peak Performance Time
Planning requires optimum brain power, so you need to determine what time of day you are at your peak performance, and schedule that time to develop your plan. Take steps to eliminate sources of distractions by finding a room that is quiet, and away from the hustle and bustle of daily living in your home. If that’s not feasible, go to your local library, it’s sure to be quiet and virtually distraction-free.
Start at the Beginning
The best place to start with your planning effort, is at the beginning. Write down what the goal or goals are that you want to accomplish. Make them realistic and measurable. An example of a realistic and measurable goal would be, to lose 25 pounds in 6 months. A not so good example would be, to lose weight. It’s a start, but you need to set parameters to measure your progress and make adjustments to your strategy along the way to ensure that you reach your goal. When you have your goals written down, then, prioritize them. Some goals may need to be accomplished sooner than others, or need to be done before another goal can be reached.
Strategies