How's Your Year Shaping Up?

Maybe you have made plans, maybe you haven't, but whether you have or not, the days are passing by.

One of the things that can help you assess things is a picture. A graph, a shape or something that represents what you were trying to accomplish against what you actually have. Shapes are great and less scary than numbers (although numbers feed them in the case of graphs).

You don't need to use excel, you can freehand it. On the x axis right down several points that you are trying to achieve. Going on dates with your spouse, learning guitar, making a move in your career etc. On the y axis, simply write from the bottom to the top, 1 to 10. Spend some time evaluating your activities and rate yourself on how you are doing. The 1 to 10 might represent progress rather than "a mark". Maybe realistically you should only be 10% into one of those goals so 1 is on target. Then join the lines to create a curve.

Although this sounds terribly rudimentary, you now have a shape. Mentally, you can easily see the lows and highs of your goals and re-shift efforts to shore up some of the low lying areas.

Why? Because it is early, and you will probably be encouraged by one of two things: You have accomplished more than you thought; or that although you are not far yet, you are sure glad you checked with over 10 months left in the year to re-commit to the goals.

Posted via email from Cliff Cline