Man, time goes by fast. I know this phenomenon is talked about, written about and perhaps thought about ad nauseum, but I feel compelled every year around this time to mention it. Mostly because as I get older (I turned 50 in November), I realize how limited our time is and I have always been a “live life to the fullest” kind of guy. Now, as I am a bit older and have the great fortune of a beautiful family, my health, and a thriving company, I feel very thankful. I am focused on enjoying my life, and doing the right thing both in business and in my personal life.
First off, I want to share a holiday wish from an acquaintance of mine, Alan Weiss. Alan is a successful business consultant/coach who I worked with for a short time a few years ago. He opened my eyes to how a new perspective can be immeasurably helpful. His advice turned out to be spot on, and I wish I had followed it more diligently. Anyways, I would like to wish all my friends a Merry Christmas, and all the best in success for 2014 and beyond, and I would like to quote my friend Alan, as he said it best.
“I’m wishing you a Merry Christmas. If you celebrate something else or nothing at all, then I wish you all that the traditional Christmas spirit involves: good will toward others, family renewal, giving of one’s self, a joyful heart. May you look around with tolerance and forgiveness, and find peace and comfort in your life and loved ones. I wish you the perhaps rarest of human conditions: personal peace.” Alan Weiss
Something else I think about this time of year is goals. Did you know that people who put their goals in writing are significantly more likely to achieve them? I read this in a Dominican University study many years back, and it has always stuck with me. Amazing that just writing goals down can make such a dramatic difference. I have always done of good job setting goals, writing them down, and, for the most part, achieving them. I even broke them down into categories such as Family, Business, Personal and Financial to add a level of focus. Pretty good right?
Well, as I look back on my 2013 goals, I did well. Hey, I’m a glass half full kind of guy, so I’m not going to complain. However, there is always room for improvement. I want to achieve a level of greatness in 2014, for me, my family and my company. So in an effort to achieve this I began to research some resources I have used in the past. One such resource came to mind. His name is Robin Sharma, author of The Monk who Sold his Ferrari, Who Will Cry When You Die, as well as many others (al of which I have read). Having drawn such great advice from him in the past, who better to look to as I take things to the next level?
Sure enough, he has some great insight about goal setting. You can visit his website for specifics, but the overview is as follows.
1. Celebration – What do I need to celebrate?
2. Education – What did I learn?
3. Clarification – What was I doing when I was at the top of my game?
4. Goals – What are my top goals for 2014? Break them down monthly.
5. Visualization – Engage: Feel what your life will look like when you achieve your goals.
One final point: You may have noticed I cited experts in my writing today, and I did so for two reasons. One, because I believe the message and content to be very valuable and wanted to share with you. Two, because I am a strong believer in learning. It is easier than ever to access great minds in any area. Some of my best thinking is stimulated by something I read from another great thinker. I encourage you to add “learning from others” to your list of goals. What would you like to educate yourself on this year?
