Each year at this time, I invite my clients to review their prior-year results and then open a new year with stated goals.  It is a simple process.  Spend some time thinking about what would make 2013 an ideal year for you.

To complete 2012, there are three things to list:

• Celebrate your accomplishments, completions, or what you handled well.
• List those things that you didn’t complete; you didn’t address or disappointing results.
• Then review both lists and pull out any lessons that you want to remember going forward.  The lessons can be simple things like:  I need to ask for help more often, or I need to ensure I make some “me time” each week.

I love the process of looking back at the year; I am always amazed at how many things I completed – that always makes me feel good.  Be sure to push yourself on the disappointments list – it is easy to forget what was not achieved or where we let ourselves down.

Your lessons will provide powerful insights for the New Year’s goals.  It all comes back to that most crucial goal of coaching – building great self-awareness.

Then we turn our attention to the New Year.  We start by focusing on your professional and personal roles.  List 5 – 8 key roles with a short description of how you want to behave or respond in each role.  One of my roles is an executive coach, and my desired description is to be curious, caring, and bring concepts to empower growth that creates self-awareness and sustainability for my clients. I find these descriptions to be a powerful aid as I move through each day.

Then list 8 -10 goals for the New Year.  Again, make the goals a combination of your professional and personal life.  Think about those goals that will make the most significant difference, so, at this time next year, and you will feel terrific about what you have accomplished.  Make the goals as specific and measurable as possible.  For example, I made a goal of how many new coaching clients I intend to add this year.  You can also include goals that are “being” goals.  My number one goal for 2013 is to feel healthy and grounded each day.  That is the most important goal for me, and I can measure it each day.

The power of creating a plan, then holding the focus of the plan during the year, will produce excellent results.  It will be up to you as to how closely you manage yourself to the goals.  You can review it monthly or quarterly, or you can put it aside and use it as a mental image to remind you of your roadmap for the year.

Be intentional about what you want to create for 2013.  You will be impressed with how powerful and easy it is to make your goals come to life when you take the time to define them.

Have an excellent 2013.  Let me know if you enjoy this process!