How to Have an Amazingly Satisfying Year

I started taking stock of my year in 2002. I found it useful at the end of the year to list what I have accomplished, what I am thrilled about, what I wished had turned out differently, what I am proud of, what I learned, what were the pleasant surprises, and the not so pleasant ones, what I want to develop as a habit, and what I want to do differently in the future.

My plan for 2005 is to make it the most amazingly satisfying year yet. If you follow these simple steps and do the work, you can have incredible results too.

First Figure out What You Want

In order for the year to be satisfying, the results and outcome of your actions have to fulfill YOUR needs, expectations, wishes, and desires. So, naturally the first step is to figure out what those needs, wishes and desires are.

To do that, set aside some time, find a quiet place, arm yourself with a pad and pen and complete the exercise below. List the different areas in your life that are important to you. Here's a typical list to get you started: your health, your financial situation, your relationships, and your career. You can use these or substitute some items or add to them.

Next, choose one area; any one is fine as long as it has importance to you. Then list the needs and desires that you have regarding this area of your life. When you run out of needs, then move on to the next area you want to achieve results in, and start listing your needs and desires for that area. What usually happens is that one area will trigger additional thoughts about another one. So, you don't need to be systematic about this. You just want to get through all the areas you want to focus on, and get as complete a list as possible.

Now that you know your desires, converts those into outcomes that will satisfy these desires. For example, one of your desires may be to improve your financial situation. The outcome that satisfies that desire is to have a reserve fund in the bank. So, go through your list of desires and define your outcomes.

Then convert your outcomes into goals. Building on our example, a goal could be to have put aside a reserve fund of $5,000 by the end of the year. Check how well you have defined your goals by verifying that they are specific, measurable, actionable, relevant and time-based. Go through your list and convert your outcomes into goals.

My suggestion on developing goals is to try to have a selection of short-term (1-3 months), medium-term (around 6 months) and long-term goals (1 or more years). It is important that you have all three because if your list consists only of big, hairy, long-term goals, it is hard to keep yourself motivated. But if you can celebrate accomplishing a few goals each quarter, it is much easier to keep going.

Now Figure out What You Have to Do

By now, you might be a little overwhelmed because you have 4 pages of goals. So, it is time to prioritize. Review your list, and rank the importance of each goal. Choose a simple system, like assigning them a rank of 1, 2 or 3, with 1 being the most important to you. I have to stress again that this is about what is important to YOU, not what you are expected to care about, or what society thinks should be important to you. Unless you truly care about the outcome, you will find it hard to motivate yourself when it comes time for action.

Now select the most important goals you want to work on. Don't discard the rest, just put them aside till you have time for them. Now, convert the goals into actions ? what do you have to do to accomplish the goal?

Again, building on our example: to save $5000 in a year, you have to put aside $420 a month. Can you do that? How? One action might be to establish a monthly budget that enables you to set aside that amount each month. Or another action might be to review your monthly expenses and decided what you can cut out to enable you to contribute to the reserve fund. Put as much detail as you can in your actions. Make sure that you give yourself deadlines for completing them. If you have an on-going action (like working out 3 times a week), assign yourself the action to develop a tracking system to let you know whether you are sticking to that commitment of not.

Now you have your road-map for the whole year. All you have to do is to take the actions needed for success. Do a check-in quarterly to see how you are progressing. Make adjustment based on what you have done and what might have changed in your life (nothing should be set in stone). Celebrate all your successes along the way, and just keep going. At the end of the year, you will be amazed at all that you have accomplished, and how good you will feel.

? 2004 Inez O. Ng

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Do you need some structure and accountability to propel you forward? Personal Coach Inez Ng has worked with professionals and entrepreneurs to transform their aspirations into reality. While focusing on specific areas, her coaching positively impacts all areas of her clients' lives. Learn more about coaching with Inez at http://www.realizationsunltd.com

Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents
Internet browsers are useful, but they can be dangerous. Clicking on malicious links can direct you to dangerous websites that steal information or infect your device.
Apple's latest iOS update introduces advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, which may be capturing and analyzing sensitive information.
Breach site confirmed 56,904,909 Hot Topic users' data leaked online. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says the company's silence makes matters even worse.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how an innovative Easy-Way kit turns standard strollers electric, simplifying navigation for parents.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about T-Mobile being hacked in broad cyberattack on global phone and internet companies.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how to add, customize and manage widgets for quick access to apps and info from your iPhone home screen.
Wrong Google searches can not only compromise your device and personal data. They can also bring law enforcement to your doorstep. Hackers are targeting Google searches.
China's Shanghai Kepler Robotics has developed a new humanoid robot that can carry up to 35 pounds per hand for commercial applications across various industries
Checking your hearing has gotten easier with the new hearing test feature in AirPods Pro 2. You can take reliable hearing tests using your iPhone or iPad.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how a VPN — virtual private network — works and how running it can slow down the operation of your device.
The WalkON Suit F1, an exoskeleton developed to help people with disabilities, can actually walk over to a person in a wheelchair, solving a major problem.
ClickFix, a new scam targeting computer users, is on the rise in the U.S. The scam prompts its targets to click on a link to fix a problem.
Skydweller is the world's largest unmanned solar-powered aircraft that can stay airborne for weeks, and even months, without refueling.
The U.S. government said it is investigating after People's Republic of China hackers targeted commercial telecommunications service providers in the U.S.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated ways to lure unsuspecting victims, and some are impersonating an email help desk or support team.
You can unsend or edit your iMessages with the latest iOS updates. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how you can save yourself some potential embarrassment.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says there’s been a rise in cybercriminal services using hacked police and government emails to send subpoenas and data requests to U.S. companies.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how Axiom Space and luxury designer Prada are collaborating on NASA's Artemis III spacesuit design.
Voice assistants may cause confusion across devices. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson offers some solutions to fix it.
Shameless scammers trick veterans into giving personal info or cash. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explores five common scams.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you honor our heroes with these powerful podcasts, audiobooks and documentaries this Veterans Day.

The Winner Walk

The Winner's Walk is a key strategy in the sport... Read More

The Best Time for Action? No Time Like the Present...

Too often we wait for the 'right time' or 'the... Read More

Moving Beyond Self-Sabotage

Self-sabotage is one key factor that keeps our business from... Read More

High Energy Performance

One of the hallmarks of all successful and high achieving... Read More

Success Lessons From Cricket That Can Improve Your Life

This summer (2005) huge crowds in England and Australia have... Read More

Success - Your Are What You Think About

You have complete control over your thoughts. Thought patterns develop... Read More

Insinct Is Your Life-blood - Says Author

Fourteen thousand civilised people died when the tsunami hit Andaman... Read More

You Must Play By The Rules

You must play by the rules. Everything has rules. You... Read More

The Curse of Success Geniuses

Don't talk to me about how to succeed! I've read... Read More

Success -Ten Winning Traits!

No surprise - winning traits are common among high achievers.Are... Read More

Do You Really Want To Be Successful In Life?

How many times have people asked you what you really... Read More

Introducing 4 Indispensable Strategies For Success

I would like to use this medium to introduce my... Read More

Will You Be Successful?

We all want success. You do. So do I. Some... Read More

Fanning the Flames of Passion -- Reconnecting With Life

Imagine you are a fire. Fires burn at different levels... Read More

Key Things Ive Learned From Studying The Lives of Great Achievers

I've long been a student of those who have achieved... Read More

If Only, If Only, If Only

Remove these words from your vocabulary!The words "If only ?"... Read More

The Opportunity Clock

When I was in college, I heard someone say something... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Clown Around

Clown around Among the Plains Indians, heyoka, or sacred clowns,... Read More

8 Ways to Get Off The Success-Go-Round and Have a Consistent Flow of Success

Are you consistently chasing success? Once you achieve it, do... Read More

If You?re Not Where You Want To Be In Life, It?s Your Own Fault

Have you ever wondered why you're not where you want... Read More

The Gift Of Success

Often just one self-help principle can increase your power to... Read More

Thinking for Success

Thoughts are very powerful. An intention held long and hard... Read More

Masterminding Your Way To Greater Success

Napoleon Hill coined the concept of the mastermind alliance in... Read More

Success Is Easy, But So Is Neglect

People often ask me how I became successful in that... Read More

What Is Your Legacy of Success?

Success! Easy to talk about, but difficult to achieve. Or... Read More

Antigo wedding limo ..