Year End Review
As published in the December 2005 issue of Business Network, the magazine for members of the Federation of Small Business (FSB).
Regret is a terrible thing. But what’s worse? To regret the things you’ve done or the things you haven’t done? If you’re not sure, it’s time for the Rocking Chair test.
The Rocking Chair test goes like this…you need to get comfy for this one…. Close your eyes and imagine you’re in your twilight years. You’re in your rocking chair thinking back over your life. What have you done that made you smile? What would you have done differently? What advice would you give if you could travel back in time and meet yourself today?
As you take time off over Christmas and New Year, use it as an opportunity to reflect on your year. What have you done this year that made you smile?
If you set yourself goals for 2005, did you achieve them? What have you learned about yourself? And what have you learned about the people around you?
Here are some common New Years Resolutions that people set in 2005. See how many you recognise:
“I will cut down on my hours and spend more time with the family”
“I’ll launch that new product/service I’ve been thinking about”
“I want to get more customers/clients”
“I’m going to get fit”
“I want to expand the business”
How did you get on? The chances are that if you didn’t achieve your goals, one of three things happened:
1. Something else got in the way
2. You started doing it but ran out of steam
3. It didn’t seem as important a month or two down the track
But isn’t this natural? After all, loads of people set goals and don’t follow through with them, don’t they?
In a word, Yes. It’s estimated that a staggering 97% of people don’t have a long-term goal for their future and plod along from one day to the next. Only 3% of people are clear about what they want from life and how they’re going to get it. Are you one of that 3%?
Before you start beating yourself up over the things you HAVEN’T achieved, take a minute to reflect on what you HAVE done. Something I do is to take out my diary and look back over the appointments I had booked this year.
Flick back to January 2005 and think about who you met that month. Where did that meeting lead to? A new customer, a different way of doing business or a little ‘nugget’ of information that helped to you to achieve something?
In Britain, we seem to dwell on the negatives. We had a glorious summer, but we’ll only remember the days that it rained. 2005 was the year that England won The Ashes, the Olympic bid and Ellen MacArthur completed her historic transatlantic crossing. But we’ll remember it for 7/7, New Orleans and Asian earthquakes.
As you look back over your own year, you’ll discover that even in the toughest times, you learned something about yourself. And in the best of times you realised what life could be like.
So how can you learn from 2005 and make 2006 even better?
You can start by setting goals - real goals. “I want to get fit” is great, but how do YOU define fit? Able to climb a flight of stairs without feeling breathless or able to run a Marathon in under 4 hours?
Creating goals is not easy. You need to examine what is important to you in your personal and professional life. The five tips below can help you set realistic goals.
1. Create several short term goals that lead to the completion of long term goals. To do this, set realistic weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals that inspire you. These goals should be the precursor for your long-term goals. Make your goals reachable. There is nothing more disheartening than not being able to achieve your goals.
2. Set priorities. Place your goals in order of importance.
3. Your goals must be clearly defined. Make sure you specify exactly what your goal is and how you will achieve it.
4. Set a time frame for your goals. Not setting a time frame can drag your goal out too long. Put a time limit on when your goal should be complete.
5. Make sure your goal has meaning. These goals reflect the core values of who you are and what your business is made of.
No matter how large or small your business is, there is always room for growth and improvement. Many people are burned out and tired of what they are doing. A life or business coach can help you through this rough period and get you back on track by helping you develop meaningful goals. And give you the push you need to achieve them!
HRM Coaching has a network of experienced, professional coaches who can help you to achieve your business and personal goals this year.
To find out more, including what’s involved and how much it costs, go to www.hrmcoaching.com. You can also find out when Hannah McNamara will be presenting workshops in your area. For more information call 020 8544 8024 or email info@hrmcoaching.com
Regret is a terrible thing. But what’s worse? To regret the things you’ve done or the things you haven’t done? If you’re not sure, it’s time for the Rocking Chair test.
The Rocking Chair test goes like this…you need to get comfy for this one…. Close your eyes and imagine you’re in your twilight years. You’re in your rocking chair thinking back over your life. What have you done that made you smile? What would you have done differently? What advice would you give if you could travel back in time and meet yourself today?
As you take time off over Christmas and New Year, use it as an opportunity to reflect on your year. What have you done this year that made you smile?
If you set yourself goals for 2005, did you achieve them? What have you learned about yourself? And what have you learned about the people around you?
Here are some common New Years Resolutions that people set in 2005. See how many you recognise:
“I will cut down on my hours and spend more time with the family”
“I’ll launch that new product/service I’ve been thinking about”
“I want to get more customers/clients”
“I’m going to get fit”
“I want to expand the business”
How did you get on? The chances are that if you didn’t achieve your goals, one of three things happened:
1. Something else got in the way
2. You started doing it but ran out of steam
3. It didn’t seem as important a month or two down the track
But isn’t this natural? After all, loads of people set goals and don’t follow through with them, don’t they?
In a word, Yes. It’s estimated that a staggering 97% of people don’t have a long-term goal for their future and plod along from one day to the next. Only 3% of people are clear about what they want from life and how they’re going to get it. Are you one of that 3%?
Before you start beating yourself up over the things you HAVEN’T achieved, take a minute to reflect on what you HAVE done. Something I do is to take out my diary and look back over the appointments I had booked this year.
Flick back to January 2005 and think about who you met that month. Where did that meeting lead to? A new customer, a different way of doing business or a little ‘nugget’ of information that helped to you to achieve something?
In Britain, we seem to dwell on the negatives. We had a glorious summer, but we’ll only remember the days that it rained. 2005 was the year that England won The Ashes, the Olympic bid and Ellen MacArthur completed her historic transatlantic crossing. But we’ll remember it for 7/7, New Orleans and Asian earthquakes.
As you look back over your own year, you’ll discover that even in the toughest times, you learned something about yourself. And in the best of times you realised what life could be like.
So how can you learn from 2005 and make 2006 even better?
You can start by setting goals - real goals. “I want to get fit” is great, but how do YOU define fit? Able to climb a flight of stairs without feeling breathless or able to run a Marathon in under 4 hours?
Creating goals is not easy. You need to examine what is important to you in your personal and professional life. The five tips below can help you set realistic goals.
1. Create several short term goals that lead to the completion of long term goals. To do this, set realistic weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals that inspire you. These goals should be the precursor for your long-term goals. Make your goals reachable. There is nothing more disheartening than not being able to achieve your goals.
2. Set priorities. Place your goals in order of importance.
3. Your goals must be clearly defined. Make sure you specify exactly what your goal is and how you will achieve it.
4. Set a time frame for your goals. Not setting a time frame can drag your goal out too long. Put a time limit on when your goal should be complete.
5. Make sure your goal has meaning. These goals reflect the core values of who you are and what your business is made of.
No matter how large or small your business is, there is always room for growth and improvement. Many people are burned out and tired of what they are doing. A life or business coach can help you through this rough period and get you back on track by helping you develop meaningful goals. And give you the push you need to achieve them!
HRM Coaching has a network of experienced, professional coaches who can help you to achieve your business and personal goals this year.
To find out more, including what’s involved and how much it costs, go to www.hrmcoaching.com. You can also find out when Hannah McNamara will be presenting workshops in your area. For more information call 020 8544 8024 or email info@hrmcoaching.com
posted by Hannah McNamara at 9:22 am
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