Yes, the 'silly season' is upon us again. People are about to wind down and get into festive party mode.

Not that this is a bad thing, no, not at all ! We all need rest and recreation. But, do make sure that you also make the most of this time for another vitally important activity - Action Planning for the New Year ?

This is the ideal time for you to put some thought into planning and getting yourself ready to get your new year ahead off to a flying start. It is all about advantage, about gaining that 'edge'. If you know what you want, why you want it, and most importantly, HOW you are going to get it, then you are a step ahead of the game.

So, what can YOU do in the next 3-4 weeks to get focused on your new year ahead and get a clear plan of action up and running for early in the New Year? What can you do/should you be doing in the first 90 days of the new year to make a difference in your Business and Personal life?

Here is a step by step guide to setting up your Action Plan for 2004At the beginning of every New Year, we all spend some time thinking about what we would like to achieve in our personal and professional lives. By doing this NOW, you will be off to a great head start ?

Let's start by doing a quick stock take of where you are at right now ?Spending a few minutes now reflecting where you are on your Business /Career / Personal Goals list will get you focused on what you need to do. The actions you have taken to date this year are the measuring stick of your REALITY.

As business philosopher and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, says(paraphrasing) ˆ You are where you are today as a result of actions you took a year ago. If you want to be in a different place this time next year, then you have to do things differently now.

As it relates to your goals, your actions have allowed you to be in one of 3 positions. You have either:
1. Exceeded your expectations of what you thought you would achieve.

Congratulations!

2. Met your expectations of what you set out to accomplish.

3. Fallen below your desired expectations of what you wanted to achieve.

Regardless of what position you are in, remember this is the ideal time to gather yourself, wipe the slate clean and get your plan clear & on track to kick into high gear early in the new year...

Important Questions
Do you know what you want? Do you know why you want it? Do you know how you are going to get it?

If you do, that is great! You are a step ahead. If you don't, then take the time to think this through. Give yourself some space to work on this.Indulge yourself. This can be a highly enjoyable process.

Some of you may be doing this seriously for the first time ˆ enjoy the process! For others, you may have done this many times before ˆ use this opportunity to approach this with a fresh eye & enjoy the process!

Setting Goals starts with focusing on your DreamsStart with focusing on your dreams. Get in touch with what really excites & inspires you, what you are passionate about & what you really love doing. Write down your dreams.

What is the difference between a dream & a goal?On one level, my standard reply is - a goal is a dream with a timeframe. On another level, there is so much more to this...

Make sure your Goals are aligned with your Values A note of caution - It is important that your goals are aligned with your values. Decide what is important to you & in what order. Make sure the goals you set yourself do not conflict with your values.

Be Authentic
It is important to operate from a place of truth & honesty from within you ˆ tap into what you really want from the heart, from your soul, from a place of integrity & authenticity within you.

Beware / Be aware that your ego is not driving your goals -

fuelled by competitiveness with others, or envying what others have.

This takes some soul searching & a level of self-awareness.

Visualise
Picture yourself doing what you wish for and what you need to get done. Visualising trains the subconscious to focus on completing tasks and primes your mind and intention for action.

Goal Setting
With your dreams firmly in focus, write down your goals. Be very specific - the more specific, the better. Be as graphic as you can be. Be creative. Use written words, draw pictures, cut out images frommagazines, use your PC drawing facility. Whatever takes your fancy.

Quoting Jim Rohn - 'If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us.'

Write down your Plan
Rough ideas about goals and actions are of no value unless they are written down. Putting your plans on paper makes an elusive goal more concrete. A connection takes place between the brain & the hand via pen & paper. When you do not write it down, it remains fuzzy, but as you write it & revise it, it becomes clear.

Long term Goals (3-5 years and beyond)
Look ahead 3-5 years and write down your goals. This may be difficult for some of you, but give it your best shot. Some of you may wish to look further down track, if you can, perhaps to 10 years.

1 year Goals
From the long term, bring your goals into a 1 year timeframe of what you believe is achievable. Write these down. Quantify wherever possible. For example, if you have a financial goal, be specific to the dollar.

6 month Goals
Bring your goals into a 6 month timeframe of what you believe is achievable. Write these down. Quantify again wherever possible.

3 month Goals & the 90 Day Plan
You have arrived at the 90 Day Plan ! Congratulations !

Action Plan
Break these down into monthly activities and then into weekly and daily activities. Get a diary planner, or use those available on your PC, or better still, create your own on your PC to suit your own special needs and tastes.

When complete you will have a week-by-week, day-by-day 90 Day Action Plan.

Accountability
With your Action Plan in place, make sure you stay accountable to yourself. Be true to yourself. You may wish to work with a Coach for a period to help you with this.

A dream stays a dream, and a goal stays a goal, & they never see reality ˆ without ACTION. So take action today, now, tomorrow. Just take action. Massive action if you really want to see results.

But, don't allow yourself to feel irretrievably locked in. Don't feel as though an iron grid or ball & chain are being placed on you. A plan is a rough guide.

Review your Plan
Be flexible. Adjust it to suit you and your circumstances. Ramp it up or take it down. Whatever is relevant & appropriate.

Why would you change your plan in midstream?
If what you were doing did not work as well for you as you expected, then you CAN adopt a new approach in the next 90 days.

Most successful entrepreneurs will tell you that they routinely make adjustments to their plans if results are not what they expected. It has nothing to do with failure but rather with your willingness to step back, analyse, 'go with the flow', learn and try again until you finally get the desired results. Remember, the point is to try to make an impact in your business or achieve changes in your personal life in the next 90 days.

Back-to-Back 90 Day Plans
When your first 90 Day Plan is nearing completion, you can plan the next 90 Day Plan & run back-to-back Plans. With 4 x 90 Day back-to-back Plans you will have your entire current year sewn up and well on your way to achieving your great goals!

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Kathy Baker is a Success Coach, Writer, Information Entrepenreneur in Self Improvement, Law of Attraction and Lifestyle niches, Internet Marketer, Ghostwriter.
http://www.YourSuccessMasteryNow.com
http://www.ALLInteractiveSolutions.com
http://www.LawofAttactionMoneySecrets.com
http://www.AudioSelfHelpBlog.com
http://www.QuotesonSuccess.com

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Author's Bio: 

Kathy Baker is a Success Coach, Writer, Information Entrepenreneur in Self Improvement, Law of Attraction and Lifestyle niches, Internet Marketer, Ghostwriter.
http://www.YourSuccessMasteryNow.com