Thinking Ahead: Questions to ask as you prepare for 2011

Scary as it may be, Christmas trees are already in the shops, parties are being planned, cards are being written and hams are being ordered. Is this year almost over already?

Before we get too carried away with the festive cheer, it's a good time to stop and think ahead about the coming year. You might think of this in terms of your business, your company, your career, your personal development, or all of the above.

I've put together seven questions to help you prepare for 2011:

1. What have you achieved this year? Write it down. Make a long list. Include all those little things that are sometimes overlooked, but nevertheless important. We can't all write Nobel Prize, or Olympic gold medal, but we can record and celebrate the things that are important to us. Celebrate both your professional and your personal achievements. They feed into each other and all contribute to who you are and who you want to be.

2. What did you miss this year? It's time to review those goals from last year. Some of them will have been checked off in the first question. Some of them may have been missed altogether. Have another look. Maybe the reason these goals weren't achieved is because they weren't really important to you.
As Kenny Rogers sang: 'You've got to know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em.'
Reconsider which of these you want to re-focus on for next year and which you're happy to leave off your list altogether.

3. What do you really want in 2011? Start with a clean slate. If money, time and other resources were no issue, what would you really want to achieve over the next twelve months? This is the time to think big. Maybe a Nobel Prize or Olympic gold medal will still be out of the question (after all the Olympics aren't until 2012), but feel free to use your imagination.

4. What can you achieve in 2011? Go back to your answers for question 2. After answering question 3, which of these do you still want to include? Make a physical list of no more than seven things that you want to set as achievable goals for the coming year.

5. How do your goals fit with your vision and your strategy? If you look at your list for 2011 and see no alignment with your overall vision and strategy, then it's time to review these.  If you're reading this and wondering 'what is my vision anyway?' then it's time to talk to Monique.

6. How will you do this, really? If you're clear about your vision and your strategy, then putting a plan in place is much easier. But a plan needs to be real. It needs to have real outcomes, real actions and real dates. What good is a plan if you don't know when to pop the champagne? Put the framework of your next year in place well before you start singing Auld Lang Syne and you'll have a much more relaxed and enjoyable celebration.

7. How will you stay sane? We can easily drive ourselves crazy trying to do to much, too soon, with too little. The world doesn't end on December 31st. Some of our dreams will be a few years away, but what we do now helps us to work towards them. Progress itself is a great achievement. Measure your progress and celebrate each success, no matter how small. It's what's important to you that matters.

Teak Yew can help you to clarify your vision, set your strategy, and design your business for the future. When you're thinking ahead...talk with us.