7 Questions to Consider for a Successful New Year

Be Intentional in Goal-Setting to Achieve Maximum Possibilities

It's the beginning of a new year, which is always a time of great hope and new possibilities.

In closing out 2014, I found these reflection questions helpful in my quest to achieve maximum possibilities in this new calendar year.

1. What were my major accomplishments this year?
   
2. What goals did I not achieve and why? Are these goals still relevant? Do I want to carry any of these forward? How will I approach them differently?
   
3. What was a major theme or words that characterized my year?
   
4. What were some of my biggest learning takeaways this year?
   
5. What am I most grateful for?
   
6. What do I want to continue doing in 2015?
   
7. What do I want to stop doing?

By looking forward to 2015, how can I work to make it one of my best years, ever?

As we all know, success and goal achievement don’t just happen. I find that I must be intentional about what I want and then put plans into place to achieve what I’m aiming for.

Here are some questions to consider.

1. What are my top two to three priorities for 2015? Are they challenging enough?
   
2. What are some specific tactics I will need to achieve these priorities?
   
3. What resources or learning tools will I need to achieve these goals from my current position?
   
4. How will I know I've been successful?
   
5. What process and outcome goals should I set?
   
6. What theme(s) or one- or two-word phrases do I want to focus on? Or, do I want to set resolutions? 
7. How can I ensure that I will be successful?

I offer these self-reflective questions to help start your year off right. For each of us, this will be a very personal exercise.

I recommend you have goals that are both personal and professional. On the personal level, I include goals in all four dimensions: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

To help me more aggressively learn, make course corrections and achieve my goals, I've incorporated principles from the book, The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months, in my weekly and annual planning.

I highly recommend it. It's guaranteed to help you make 2015 your most productive year, ever!

Have a safe, healthy, happy and prosperous new year!