Here we are at the beginning of yet another new year. It’s always such an exciting time as this is
our opportunity to reset and start over.
We have the ability to do things differently over the next 12
months. How exciting is that? I know for me personally, it’s really
exciting. This time of year really gets
me excited about the future. I start
thinking about the “what ifs” and then before I know it I have this long laundry
list of things I want to accomplish in those short 12 months.
This year is different though. Don’t get me wrong. I still made a long list of things I want to
accomplish this year. Then, as in years
past, I became overwhelmed by the list and felt as if I wouldn’t be able to
accomplish anything. That’s when it hit
me like a sack of bricks. I can’t do
everything that appears to be important to me.
I had to admit that I am not a super hero and can only do so much. So, I went back and picked out a few areas to
focus all my energy on this year.
I have to tell you, it didn’t feel good leaving things
behind that I know won’t get done. Quite
frankly, it made me nauseous. I hate the
idea of not doing everything and making some things wait another year. But then I started thinking and became really
honest with myself. Even if I had put
more items on my list for 2013 the reality is some would have not gotten done
regardless of being on the list. This
approach allows me to focus my energies on a few key areas and really work to
not only achieve but surpass them. Isn’t
that what this whole process is designed to do anyways?
As you begin working with your team members to create goals
and objectives for the coming year, take a moment and step back. Ask yourself and them if they can really
accomplish everything that has been identified.
Is the focus on the things that are most closely tied to desired
outcomes for the year? If not, scale
back, refocus and begin again. The first
step in accomplishing our objectives is effectively determining what we will
set out to achieve and what we will leave behind. Then it’s as easy as deciding how. Seems pretty simple, right?
