Friday, January 17, 2014

Put Some Zing in Your 2014



Can you believe we’re nearly three weeks into 2014?  The Chapter of your life entitled 2013 is closed and a fresh page was turned to on January 1, 2014.  What have you written onto those blank pages so far?  Have you been intentional with your time?  Have you used your precious moments to further your own vision for your life or have you frittered them away with mindless activities?

Let’s take a few minutes to focus our thoughts on what we’d like our 2014 to be about.  Each month, each week, each day, each hour are segments that quickly seam together to become our year. 

Our Year in Review In Reverse

Imagine it is December 31, 2014.  It was your best year ever.  You focused on what you could control and accepted the rest (and had the wisdom to know the difference…Serenity Prayer, Anyone?).  So, what was it about for you—your 2014?  I know I can get pretty overwhelmed and beat myself up when I feel like I’m not accomplishing the goals I set for myself.  I’ve found that focusing on a few areas instead of too many is helpful.  So, let’s use the zoom lens to get clear about your priorities for 2014.  What are the one or two areas that you will regret not addressing if you don’t finally take action and move forward on? 

As you are pondering your Vision for 2014, ask yourself END goal questions.   A means goal takes us to an end goal, but as the saying goes, “it’s a means to an end.”   An end goal is a fundamental value and priority in your life.  For example, if vibrant health and energy is an end goal for you, then losing and maintaining a 10 pound weight loss could be your means goal.  Or, if financial freedom is an end goal for you, then getting a job at XYZ Company could be a means goal for you. 

MindValley Founder and CEO, Vishen Lakhiani, shares a goal setting exercise that focuses on three key End Goal areas:  What we want to Experience, How we want to Grow, and What/How we want to Contribute.  He suggests we set a timer for 90 seconds and turn off our logical thinking brain to creatively and freely fill in our answers to the three areas.   I took three separate sheets of paper and listed my focus at the top: 

                What do I want to experience in 2014?
                How do I want to grow in 2014?
                What or How do I want to contribute in 2014?

What a powerful exercise. 

I wish you the clarity, courage and willingness to take the next right actions to put some zing in your 2014.