Issue 035: Are You Taking Life By the Horns?

“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.”
– Yogi Berra

How do you prepare for the new year? My colleague Robert takes life by the horns. He ends December with an intentional plan in a warmer climate. First, he enjoys a week with his family celebrating the holidays. In the second week, he evaluates his year and maps out his business plan and goals for the following year. It’s on his schedule and in his budget. Another colleague, Marquesa, goes “underground,” which is her terminology for going off-the-grid. In a similar way to Robert, Marquesa devotes her time off to her lifestyle business.

My end-of-year review and goal sessions are more like Marquesa’s. I’ve always loved Robert’s idea of his annual reflection in a southern location (away from the Pittsburgh winter). After spending the past four Decembers having treatments or surgeries, I planned to follow Robert’s example for the final week of 2020.

Ah, what comes to mind: Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans. – John Lennon

As much as I’d like to travel for a business retreat, I’ll do my year-in-review questions and planning session from my home office and put Robert’s concept on the schedule for 2021.  

What is your process for assessing your 2020 personal and professional success? Is your 2021 planning session on your calendar? If not, now is a great time to schedule it. Here are some of my year-end questions to help you get started. 

Momentum Building Questions for 2021

1. What do you feel was your biggest accomplishment in 2020?

2. What challenges did you have, and what lessons did you learn?

3. What is the status of your goals?

4. What is working and what is not working?

5. What do you need to spend more time doing?

6. What takes time away from your goals, and you need to stop doing?

7. What will you do differently in the next 12 months?

8. What is your first quarter priority?

9. What’s new in your toolbox, and what do you need to add for a successful 2021?

10. What would a successful 2021 look like to you?

Happy planning!

Until next time, have a Bounce-Up™ day!

Mj

P.S. The complete Get Off the Grinch Train Series: How Poor Communication Steals Customers  in now available on my YouTube channel. Check it out!