Well 2010 is finally here!

Hi everyone,

Well we have survived another round of holidays and the new year is upon us.  I have been bombarded by emails, blogs and articles about goals and resolutions.  It is like it is an annual event like the changing of the seasons.  The new year brings hope and a focus on how we want things better than last year.

It is amazing to me how many different goal setting programs and methodologies are out there.  I found no less than 15 different software applications that will help you set and keep track of your goals.  I have some regular online resources that I use that have now added a "goal setting" function to their site.  Just enter your goals and they will email you every day a reminder about your goal.  Nice function, but is already getting annoying.

In reality, there is nothing magical about goal setting.  It really is nothing more than developing a plan.  The problem is that our goals are often to vague or not specific enough, therefore we don't know what action we need to take in order to make it happen.  Without that level of detail, we don't know what to do, and thus do nothing and hope that some magical way the goal will happen, then wait for our disappointment at the end of the year when we did not accomplish our goals.  At that point we think to ourselves, "why bother?", and we are back to our usual and comfortable routine, wondering about what could have been, if we had accomplished our goal.

I think it is time to change the game.  Let's focus on the result we want specifically and develop the tactical plan to make it happen.  I call it a strategic objective planning.  This works for both personal and professional objectives.

I will have more on how to do this in later blogs.  For now think about the most strategic things you want this year and write them down in terms of the result you want.  The goal is not to lose weight, but to weigh a certain amount.  Be specific about what you want and you are well on your way to the first step in making it happen.

Until next time,

Mike