How has 2011 turned out for you? Are you satisfied with the results you have managed to achieve this year? If you are like the majority of people you are reaching the end of another year, where you feel worn out and frustrated. You have tried really hard, worked long hours and yet the meaningful life changing results you are seeking, just seem to elude you. Now is the time to finally choose to make the few small shifts necessary to change everything in 2012. Yes it is going to take daily discipline, consistent effort and work, but if you continue down the same path you chose for 2011, next year, you will just keep getting the same results, year after year.
Start 2012 off a little differently to the way you have done things in the past, do not enter next beating your chest, proclaiming your massive transformation to everyone that will listen. Only to have your newfound transformation dwindle to a whimper and disappear before January is even finished. Do not go blazing into the New Year with great intentions, enthusiasm and massive expectations about what you are going to do to make things better next year.
Action Idea: Invest time into discovering these few crucial components necessary to create and sustain your future success.
•What does success really mean to me?
•What do I love to do and how can I make it possible for myself to make a living doing that?
•What are my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?
•What skills, abilities or knowledge do I need to acquire, to attract the kind of success I really want in my life?
•What is my real vision for the future?
Once you have the answers to these questions you have the foundation for making meaningful changes and setting realistic goals for yourself in 2012. When you understand who you are and what is really important to you, it is far easier to stay focused, disciplined and on track, as you are taking actions every day that are aligned with who you are and the results you will enjoy will be meaningful and of real value to you.
After investing the time to answer the questions above, the next step is to set some realistic goals that are aligned with what you really want. Be careful not to make the same fundamental mistakes that you have made in the past where you set too many goals or expected too much from yourself. When you try to tackle too many goals at a time, attempt to change too many ingrained behaviours at once or attempt to do too much, too fast, too soon, you are setting yourself up for failure.
Action Idea: Break your year into 90 day segments. Choose only one goal to achieve during this period. Focus all your energy on only this one priority, shelve all other goals until you have realised just this one goal. This level of focus will help you to not feel overwhelmed and let you gradually make the changes you need to make, so that you can sustain your efforts for the long haul.
After identifying your one important goal, identify a few new key behaviour changes, which will assist you to achieve this goal. Remember the habits or behaviours that you are attempting to replace, have existed for a number of years, they are ingrained and part of who you have become. Breaking the poor habits that have kept you away from achieving your goals over the past few years is hard enough, without you attempting to introduce too many at once. Choose only one or two behaviours at a time and really use your willpower to carry out these new behaviours every day, until they become ingrained habits after about 90 days.
When your goals are aligned with what you really want and you focus your energy on achieving one at a time, you never feel overwhelmed, you fell energised and everything seems to work to make your goals real. Commit to walk slowly into 2012 and stay consistent all year, taking the daily actions you know are necessary and the results that you will realise next year will astound you.
Andrew is an expert and master teacher that speaks and teaches self-leadership, expanded awareness, effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. He guides individuals and business professionals, to identify, prioritise and carry out the right activities, consistently, so that they can maximise their personal effectiveness and deliver their best; on time, every time. All the tools and techniques Andrew teaches; have been tested in the laboratory of his own life and the many successful businesses he has owned and led, over the past 20 years. These strategies have seen Andrew achieve financial independence and reach a point of harmonious balance in all areas of his life. His purpose is to help as many people as possible, achieve similar or better results and to show them how they can realise their full potential, both personal and professionally and to help them live a meaningful life, where they are fulfilled in all areas. http://www.andrewhorton.co.za