Gearing Up For 2018!
By Jeff Whitaker
Here we go again. It’s the beginning of another year. The pressure is on. It may be because someone popped the question recently or that internal nagging voice that says, “It’s a new year, so what are your goals and resolutions?” Before you stop reading, thinking this is just another one of those “feel good, motivate me” articles to get you all excited, give me three minutes. That’s about the time it will take to read what I write.
I don’t know which camp you fall into. You may be the person who always sets goals and have done great over the years. Maybe you’re the person who has given up on goal setting because for you it never worked. Or you might think it’s all nonsense and not worth trying to begin with. Wherever you find yourself, let’s talk straight. No one can really successfully argue that setting goals or thinking through a plan doesn’t have it’s merits. Think about it. You can’t really go somewhere unless you know where you want to go. I guess you could stumble around and hope you reach your destination. But who wants to do that?
There is a smart way and a not so smart way to approach the new year. I would think because you’re still reading this article you have some hope of making 2018 better than 2017 and want to improve yourself and/or your situation. So, where do you start? I believe the best way to start is by looking back. Take time to reflect on 2017 and ask yourself some honest questions. First of all ask yourself if you are better off now (in whatever area or areas you want to see improvement) than you were on January 1, 2017? Another way is to ask yourself if what you set out to do this past year, you actually achieved. If yes, why? If not, why not? We’ve all heard that experience is the best teacher. But Dr. John Maxwell says that’s not true. He says that evaluated experience is the best teacher.
Now project forward to the end of 2018 and ask yourself where you want to be in terms or growth or goals or dreams. Then work your way backward to hit your mark. This is only the beginning but I would challenge you to ask yourself some tough questions and don’t bite off more than you can chew. Tackling a very small number of goals is much better than a laundry list. Don’t get overwhelmed. We’ll explore this process further in the weeks to come. But what’s most important is that you start; that you take your first step.
Here’s to all you hope and dream for in 2018. Happy New Year!
