HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Now what?

by Don Harkey

It's a new year and people generally find themselves reflective about the past year and their hopes and dreams for the new year. Yet as we return from our holiday and get "back to the grind", does anything really change?

First of all, what kinds of things do you see yourself reflecting on this holiday season? Is your life in balance? Is your career in the right place? Are you spending enough quality time with your family? What personal goals have you set for yourself?

If you have ever read the "7 Habits of Highly Successful People" by Stephen Covey, you know that one of the key habits is to "begin with the end in mind". In other words, in order to get where you are going, you must start taking steps in the right direction which is toward your desired outcome. It is more than OK to deliberately change direction, but randomly bouncing around in life leads to random results.

What are your goals for your life? What are your goals for the year? What are your goals for your organization? I am not one who defines success by the attainment of goals, but I do believe that having a vision for something better in your life is a very effective way to drive positive change or even to maintain the important aspects of your life.

If you are struggling with this, I encourage you to visit a website of a good friend of mine who works as a "Life Coach". Randy Mayes teaches seminars on "personal intelligence" that trains and encourages people to become deliberate in their life. Randy is a current and former business owner who truly cares for people and wants to see people live their lives and reach their dreams. He does for people what I do for organizations (at Galt Consulting).

www.thesuccesscoachnetwork.com

Take a moment right now to sit down and establish some goals for 2009. What do you want to accomplish in 2009? Try making a list in each the following categories (thanks again to Randy): family/home, finances/career, spiritual/ethical, physical/health, mental/education, and social/cultural.

Now do something similar for your organization. Make a list of goals for 2009. Here are some suggested categories: vision/mission, strategic planning, customer relations, market growth, products/services. Do you have all of the resources you need to be successful? How can you get those resources?

Every new year comes with excitement and fanfare and ends with successes and regrets. By taking a few moments to focus your efforts, you can increase the successes and leave the regrets behind!