First of all, let me start off by taking a moment to wish you a Happy New Year! 2024 has officially begun and I hope that you are focused, dedicated and making progress on the goals that you have set for yourself. Can you believe that we are already coming to the end of the first week of 2024? This week for me has been hectic and filled with lots of tasks and assignments. However, the year is off to a great start and I have been super productive. Ultimately, I believe that how you start the year will set the course for what you will accomplish this year. I want to share some insights with you to help you start the year off right and make this the greatest year of your life!
You need to get clear about what you want. I'm always amazed at how people go into a new year with excitement and adrenaline. However, when I talk to them I quickly discover that they have not really prepared for success in a new year. What do I mean by that? In my experience, I have found that when you are not clear about what you want then you will continue to attract more of what you do not want. Lack of clarity is what truly robs most people of meaningful change in their lives. Make 2024 the year that you get crystal clear about what you really want. Most people are masters at articulating what they do not want. On the other hand, I have met very few people that can properly articulate what they do want. Clarity will always determine your proximity to success. Furthermore, clarity shapes the possibilities of what your life will become. Your ability to get clear about what you want will empower you to make 2024 a chapter of victory in your life!
You need to take the time to set goals for the year. While many people are making resolutions right now, I do not believe in making resolutions but I do believe in setting clear goals. The first few days of the year should be spent writing down your goals and clarifying your vision. If you do not know where you are going, then any road will take you there. Most people are frustrated every single year because they lack a clear focus. If you do not determine the direction of your life, then I can guarantee you that this year will be ruled by distractions. Your goals shape your focus, determine your path and empower you to realize your greatest potential. You should set personal goals, professional goals, financial goals, health goals, etc. Also, do not focus on the quantity of goals but the quality of goals. In other words, you do not need a ton of goals for the year but you do need challenging goals that will inspire you to strive for excellence and honor your potential. If you do not have goals for the year, then you are already setting yourself up for a cycle of disappointment.
You need to establish clear tactics for your goals. It is one thing to set goals for the year. It is another thing to have a tactical approach to your goals. I am already executing on my goals every single day. How am I doing that? I am doing this by establishing clear tactics. A tactic is a specific action step that is designed to bring you to a specific outcome. Most people confuse strategies and tactics. Strategy deals with the larger plan or objective that you seek to accomplish. Tactic deals with the specific steps that you must take in order to make that plan a reality. When you couple goals with tactics, you create a fail-proof plan for your success and prosperity. Tactics bring your goals down to a micro level and make them more manageable. As you are able to better mange your goals, the distance to your success is shortened and the probability of success increases substantially. Your ability to break your goals down into steps is what will ultimately determine your success or failure in 2024. Tactics are essentially the plans that empower our goals to work.
You need a way to measure your results. While tactics are a master key to the success of your goals, you need to establish a system for measuring your results. Will you measure your progress weekly, biweekly, monthly or quarterly? If you are not measuring your results, then you are not serious about your success. Most people make resolutions on January 1st and never visit them again until December 31st. You need a way to measure your results so that you can assess your effectiveness, time management and evaluate your progress. It is impossible to finish what you do not measure. More importantly, it is impossible to be effective at anything without evaluation. if this year is going to be different for you, then I want you to devise a clear plan, execute on your goals and measure your effectiveness. Your success in 2024 and beyond is largely dependent on the commitments that you make and the commitments that you are willing to keep. Take responsibility for your life and hold yourself accountable for the goals that you have set for 2024. Our lives only get better when we are committed to becoming more.