A Time For Goal Setting and Reflection

Christmas and New Year is a natural time for me to reflect and plan. It's so easy to get caught up in "day-to-day" and "to-do" that I don't spend enough time thinking about my blessings, my plans, my shortcomings, etc...

One time, not sure how long ago, I read that Bill Gates takes one week off every year just to read books and think - and formulate strategy.

And, over the years, I've read about the importance of setting goals for yourself.

So I've developed a modified version of these two things.

The last week of every year is spent largely on goal setting and reflection. I spend a lot of time with the family. I catch up on my communications. I write down my goals for the new year, and review what I wrote down last year. I reflect on the year gone-by - and ponder how I've set myself up for the next year.

Goal Setting

When I get started on this task, I just do a brain dump. I write down everything - everything I can think of that I would like to accomplish in the following year. BIG things, little things, strange things. Business goals, personal goals, travel, learning, relationships, etc etc and blah blah blah. By the time I'm done, my list is usually several pages long.

Over the years, I have been amazed at how many goals I wrote down the previous year have been accomplished. I write them down, and then pretty much file that piece of paper away and forget about it. I don't usually pull it out of the file folder until I'm ready to review the following year.

Many of the things that I wrote down, I completely forgot about until I read the paper. But... that doesn't mean it hasn't been accomplished... it is truly amazing - the simple act of writing something down on a piece of paper stores it in the sub-conscious where it is carried out as if by demand.

Now, not ALL of my goals are accomplished. Every year I write down a couple of outrageous and off-the-wall items. I don't expect everything to be done - but I'm just impressed at how many DO get done.


Reflection

In addition to writing down my goals for the upcoming year, I also try to reflect upon the past year. What went right? What went wrong? What can I learn from? What can I improve upon? What opportunities did I create for the upcoming year?

All good questions which are worth exploring... I always learn something from reflection.


I know I should probably sit down and do this more often, but... I just... don't. It would probably do me good to reflect on these issues at least once per quarter. Maybe once per month.

Well, maybe that's a good goal to set for the upcoming year.

Anyway, when this task of goal setting and reflection is complete, I roar into the new year. I feel focused and energetic. Might be that the time off just refreshed my brain and prepared me to be productive again... Might be that the goals and self-lessons focused me on what's important. But, no matter the "cause", the "effect" is one of confidence and power.

Here is to the past year - it was a good one (for me) - but most of all, here is to the New Year - I think 2009 is going to be huge!

Travis