2021 - The Year of _________?
2021 - The Year of ______?
By GDI Communications
Greetings and Happy New Year from myself and GDI!
2021 is out of the gates and off to a colorful start indeed! With a continuing global pandemic and an impending state of emergency declaration for different parts of Japan, we must push ahead with starting the year off right!
Typically the beginning of the year brings a natural renewed enthusiasm for goal and objective setting, yet this year does feel different. Who could have imagined what would take shape and transpire in 2020? Unsureness, skepticism, and ambivalence of what will be in the near future are all a part of our playbooks this year, yet, even so, it is imperative to move ahead with as much optimism and confidence about what will be. As in all things, this too shall pass. There will be an end to the present predicament, and those with clear plans and roadmaps in place will do well.
With this thought in mind, I spent a good part of my holiday reflecting on 2020 and deliberating about what could be in 2021. What are the key actions, commitments, and people needed to succeed in moving forward? Many of you may balk at the idea of optimism and setting goals for the year, but in reality, goal-setting is essential right now, maybe even more than ever before. They are needed to maintain productivity and forward movement, but also your sanity!
To move past the feeling of doubt and helplessness that 2020 has left behind, here are a few ideas that I have used to keep focused and help set my own goals. I hope you can use some, if not all, of these ideas to help you develop your goals while we still face uncertain times
- Rid Yourself of the “Why Bother” Attitude and Feeling
An ancient Japanese proverb 七転び八起き (nanakorobi yaoki), says, “Fall down seven times, get up eight.” You only fail if you stop trying. It takes only 5 minutes to pick up a pencil and paper, start writing down ideas, defining your ideal situation, setting goals, and making plans.
- Believe in Yourself
Every individual, no matter how successful, wealthy, famous, talented, etc., all go through the challenge of keeping themselves motivated. Watch motivational videos/Youtube, verbalize your beliefs, and do it daily! If you do not believe in yourself, you will fall short of reaching your goals and, ultimately, success. - Schedule and Routine Goals (Habits)
Set Scheduled or Routine Goals that you can easily continue and track throughout the year. Sleeping time, waking up time, exercise, study, meditation, self-time, deep work time, etc. Create habits! Schedule and follow through. - Action Goals and Stretch Goals
Decide on several things you have been thinking about doing or have scheduled to do and get working on them. Get in shape (workout at home), finish a project; do what you say you will do. TAKE ACTION! Try to achieve something which will get you excited. Learn a language, learn to play an instrument, learn to cook, start something new, and keep going! Stretch it out and learn! - Categorize & Limit Your Goals
This is an important one for me. I have continually used similar categories in past years (Financial Goals, Health Goals, Learning Goals, Connect Goals, Travel Goals, and Bliss Goals), but I have failed by having way too many goals in each category. And of course, I generally did NOT accomplish all the goals on my list! I always come close but… This year, 2021, thanks to many different great books, YouTube videos, and advice, I have refined the categories. I have limited myself to six overall categories with THREE MAIN GOALS in each category.
The process of finding and focusing on your THREE MAIN GOALS was introduced to me by a fascinating and motivated individual. Some of you may know him, Patrick Bet David and Valuetainment, which I listen to weekly. Thank you, Patrick, for the ideas and the process, which I have included below. Full respect for all you do.
Step 1: Choose Your Categories (for example)
- Financial
- Business
- Personal Development
- Family & Connecting
- Health
- Spiritual or Bliss (happiness/enlightenment)
Step 2: Find and Set Your Goals (Wringing Out the Water)
- On a piece of paper, write out as many goals/objectives as you can think of for each category. These can be anything from concrete, must-do goals to dreams, and aspiration goals. You will refine these and start wringing the water out in the next two steps.
- Next, choose six goals from each category and circle them. Again, these can be must-do goals to aspiration goals, but you should be considering more realistic goals than just dreams, wringing a little more water out with this step.
- From the six goals, narrow it down to your final three. These final three goals will be the ones you will focus on in 2021. Of course, you can work on more than these, but you run the risk of not completing your main three goals. Remember, thoroughly wringing out the water and focusing on your three main goals will bring the best results.
Step 3: Define New Habits – Professional and Personal Development
- Considering the six categories and three goals, think about your current routine and habits. Will they assist you with accomplishing your chosen goals? If not, and most likely they won’t, then figure out what three new habits you need to develop or areas you need to change in your life to accomplish your set goals in each category.
- Once you have your goals and habits confirmed, take another sheet of paper and divide it into six sections. Label each section with your six categories. Then, within each category, add your three goals and the three new habits you need to acquire to accomplish your goals for each section. This will be your new Personal Business Plan for 2021 (PBP2021).
- On top of the sheet, write “2021 – The Year of !” In the blank, write one word that defines what you hope will happen this year. For example; The Year of… change, growth, health, progress, etc.
- Finally, print and laminate this piece of paper and place it in a spot, you will be able to see it every day. It is also advisable to print and laminate several copies and put them in various locations so you can review PBP2021 every morning, evening, at your house, at your office, maybe even in your car, etc., several times a day.
Step 4: Believe in Your Goals and Believe in You
- As stated above, any successful person believes in themselves, their services, their products, etc. If you don’t BELIEVE you can accomplish your goals, you will fail no matter how hard you try. Belief is the power that keeps us focused and moving forward.
Now six days into January, I am reviewing my Goals and Personal Business Plan daily, and I am determined to accomplish all three goals in each of my categories. And although this advice is simple, I hope it is useful for you in your journey to reach your full potential.
Good Luck, and Wishing you all a Successful 2021!!!!
James