I am sharing the process I use for setting my annual goals. Hopefully, it helps you make 2022 a better year than in 2021. This week I talking about defining success as you begin your 2022 journey. Do this before setting your goals.
I want 2022 to be a better year for all of us
Why in the world am I doing this series about goal setting for the new year. I want 2022 to be a better year for all of us. 2020 was brutal. 2021 was another tough year. I have high hopes for the new year. Maybe you do too. Perhaps these blogs can help.
Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.
Robin Sharma
Defining what success looks like for you is not difficult
Defining what success looks like for you this year is not difficult. First – figure out where you are. Second – determine the destination you want to get to by the end of the year. Let’s begin by assessing where you are. Last week I recommended Michael Hyatt’s LifeScore for assessing how your life is going. It gives you a score across several life domains. Completing this assessment is easy. Ten questions and you are done.
Hard to define success if you don’t know where you are
I like this tool because it allows me to see my life through multiple lenses. The scoring is useful. It helps me analyze how I am doing? If you are like me – you are doing fine in some domains, and bad in others. I believe it is rare that anyone gets a high score across the board unless you are some sort of superhero.
A few examples from my own assessment
Let’s drill down into my own assessment as an example. Below you see that I did not score well in two categories – spiritual and physical. Now I am going to share an opinion that others may not agree with, but I feel confident saying it. It is fine to have a low score and do nothing about it if you are okay with the score. For my spiritual domain, I know what I need to do there. Physical, on the other hand, needs attention. I better get my ass in shape. I am ten pounds overweight, and I am getting lazy. A special physical goal is needed for this year.
Time to define what success looks like for you
Now that you have figured out where you are, the next step is to determine the destination you want to reach. I recommend you write a short description of each dimension of your life. The more specific the better. Below is an example of what this looks like for me. I create one slide with the dimensions listed and a sentence or two that describes what success looks like. I picture myself writing this down on 31 December. For physical, I want to weigh between 190-195 pounds and be active and stronger by the end of the year.
An example of my success slide
Some of you are probably shaking your head saying to yourself that all this writing feels like homework. No worries – you can create a visual version using images that represent your priority goals. Do whatever works best for you. Below you will find my example. Yes – that is Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig…Wolverine and James Bond. No – I have no delusions that I can look like them. But, both of them are my age. So it is a reminder that I should take better care of myself. I bet Kim will appreciate it.
What is the key takeaway?
Determine your destination in order to make 2022 a better year. Assess where you are, and how you are doing in life. Then spend some time determining the destination you want to reach this year. This approach will help you decide on the direction you will head as you start out on your adventure in 2022.
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to sons.