How Will You Start 2012?

I recognize that time is flying by for most folks and this time of year some of you may barely have time to take a deep breath, let alone think about what you will do in the new year. But I encourage you to take a few minutes during these busy days to think about what you would like to accomplish. What do you hope and plan to do, at least in 2012 and possibly beyond. Sometimes we must come up with ways of doing things differently if we want to get different results from our plans. So if you have gone the route of New Year's Resolutions that were not fulfilled before, then think of what you might do differently this time around.


Before we get too far along with developing plans, we need to be clear on what our goals are. Those may be goals related to your personal life or your work life, or your spiritual life, or other aspects of who you are, but you need to be clear on what you are hoping to do. Once you have clarified your goals, you can begin to develop plans. If it is a goal that is similar to one you have had before but did not meet, then you need some different plans to reach that goal. If it is a new goal, then you have the opportunity to think about what would be achievable that would move you closer to your identified goal.


It seems that for many people, they do not achieve their goals because they spend too much of their time and energy working at things that are not directly related to what they want in life, that is, related to their purpose or mission in life. The more stray activities and miscellaneous clutter you can remove from your life, the more opportunity you will have to achieve what you set out to do without jumping over various obstacles. That is not to say that there may be no obstacles, but you are more likely to be able to see ways around or through an obstacle when you are focused on what you are trying to achieve. So take the time up front to clear your thoughts and your calendar for things that have meaning or importance in your life.


Once you are clear on your goals, it should become more evident what you need to do to achieve them. The more details you can include in your goals, the more likely you will succeed at each step along the way. Include time frames and/or checkpoints to help monitor your progression and increase your chances of success.


Happy New Year.



Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning for retirement or non-retirement, coping with a job loss, preparing for return to work or to school, and other life changes. Mary Ann has been working with adults in transition for over 20 years and assists individuals to develop solutions to their life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.