Resolutions, as you might have already determined for yourself, rarely succeed. The problem is that they’re based on thinking that stems from you thinking guilty thoughts about things you should do better. You start by thinking about your weakness, and then you make plans about how to shore up those things that you’re weakest in handling successfully. I believe that this is the heart of the problem. I think the exact opposite approach is required. I think if you want to set some goals for 2008, you have to work from your strengths.
An Easy Starting Point
Why reinvent the wheel. I like the book StrengthsFinder 2.0 as a great tool for helping you understand your strengths. Take the survey exactly as they intend you to do it, and NOT with any intention to game the system. (Here’s a hint: if you lie on this test, the results won’t be that useful).
From Strengths, Make Plans
Here’s where you can be really, really simple with your plan for 2008. Decide what you’ve done well in 2007, and decide how to improve on that in 2008. Maybe you’ve conquered the basics of blogging. Are you ready to think about problogging (blogging for money?), or are you ready to start sharing your knowledge with others(schedule a series of how-to events at your local library, chamber of commerce, etc)?
Set these plans up with very simple phrases to sum up your goal. For instance, make a goal look like this: “Produce two ebooks about social media in 2008 to make $5,000.”
In there are a few numbers. Two books. Not one. A year: 2008, not “some day.” And $5,000. A dollar amount, not a checkbox to say you’ve created a PDF.
Take simple leaps from what you’ve done well in 2007 to where it can bring you in 2008.
Make Only Three to Five Targets
Our minds aren’t especially good at managing large numbers of things to remember. We do best when we can boil things down, make icons of our thoughts, and burn a deep understanding into just a few things. Let’s work hard at building targets that you can hit by working on three to five targets only for 2008. In 2006, I had three goals: Ask, Do, Share. I would ask for help when I needed it, and ask how I could be helpful. I would take action as often as possible, instead of just talking about things. And I would share what I learned.
2006 was my BEST year. Three words. Best year. Coincidence?
Try cooking your target ideas down to just three to five things to focus on. And then build them graphically into your vision.
Make Simple Target Maps
On any given day, at any point in that day, there are things you’re doing that will advance your goals. All else will not. Set up very simple graphics (I’ll create some later this week for you) that lay out those things that advance your goals. POST THIS VISIBLY where you’ll be working towards those goals.
If your goal is to run a marathon this spring, then you need a simple goal graphic by your fridge, your bed, your TV, and your computer that says, “Running gets better with practice.” Or whatever will get you out of the house, out of the fridge, and in bed on time.
Any time you’re not working on your targets, you are not working on having a great 2008. You’re waffling. You’re making excuses. You’re doing something that’s NOT going to get you the results you’re seeking.
Fix Your Self-Esteem
I could recommend Dr. Matthew McKay’s book Self-Esteem ten times a week and still not mention it enough. MOST of our problems in life come from not having dealt with our self esteem. The best thing I ever did for myself was work on this in 2003. When I falter, it’s because I forget these lessons. When I excel, it’s because I work my hardest at following what this book taught me.
Your path to a better 2008 includes your conquering of your Inner Critic, your challenging of your self-view, and your putting in place some self-management of the things that put you in a bad place mentally.
If you do NOTHING else for 2008, do that. Read this book, with a notebook nearby, and pay VERY close attention to the lessons and advice in this book. It will help you immensely, and that in turn, will bring you closer to hitting your targets. (It will also reinforce my point of you not focusing on your weaknesses and guilt).
Just One More Book
No, not the wildly successful children’s book podcast. In this case, I want to recommend one more book that I think will make a difference for your thinking.
Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. This book is a build-up of Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which is a classic in its own right. What I like about this book, however, is that it’s built up into a nicer framework. This version is a lot better to follow than the original 7 Habits text, and I got tons more out of it.
One note: I didn’t do much with the spirituality part of the book, and that’s a fairly large chunk of the last .. I don’t know… third? of the book. That’s me. If you’re religious or very spiritual, that part might offer you lots. Me, I stick to the earlier part of the book. So, it’s a good one to consider, because it helps understand principle-based leadership, and helps you structure your thoughts around some really simple but life-changing guidelines.
It’s Not About The Books
You can do tons in 2008 without ever cracking a book. The books are talisman tools, designed to give you an external helping hand with things that are completely internal to you. This coming year, look at building on what you do best, simplifying your targets, and picking three to five things to improve.
Does anyone want to share their thoughts, additional resources, or ideas on how you’ll tackle 2008? We’d love to hear.
Photo credit leeroy09481
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