I’ve been planning for 2015 for several weeks now, developing a personal success strategy. This helps me each year to live out my potential as the masterpiece God created me to be. (Ephesians 2:10) As the New Year nears, I want to finalize my strategy so that I can hit the ground running in 2015. Here are a few things that I do to formulate a personal success strategy.
1. Celebrate Wins
I read a statement that said, “Direction comes from reflection”. In order to set your direction for the coming year, you will need to do some reflecting and you need to spend most of your reflection time on your successes.
One of the things that my staff has had to learn to do is to celebrate our wins. We are so forward thinking and visionary that without this discipline we never take time to see and celebrate all that we have accomplished the last year. So, we do an exercise where we gather in a room with paper, makers, and tape. One by one, we write the wins in big letters on a piece of paper and tape the wins on the wall then we celebrate them. After the wall is full and we have celebrated someone will often say, “We made a lot more progress than I thought we made this year.”
As you look toward 2015, you must see and celebrate your successes from 2015. This will build confidence, encouragement, and challenge you for greater things in the future. In addition, if you are working as a team it will build morale in ways that nothing else can.
Don’t get mired in the losses or failures from last year, learn from them and move on.
2. Set Some S.M.A.R.T. Goals
As reflection leads to direction, direction needs to have goals. Goals are a part of every success strategy. One of the most useful ways to making your goals compelling is the S.M.A.R.T. acrostic:
S – Specific
What will this goal accomplish and how will it be accomplished?
M – Measurable
How will you measure whether or not you have reached your goal? Write down a few indicators.
A – Achievable
Is it possible? Do you have the necessary skills, abilities, and resources necessary for achieving this goal?
R – Relevant
What is the reason you are setting this goal? List the benefits and results as you achieve this goal.
T – Time-bound
Put a date on when you will complete this goal. A completion date gives you a sense of urgency and allows you to begin working backwards to set measurable steps for going forward.
3. Develop A Growth Plan
This is the most important step in creating a personal success strategy each year. Growth is not automatic. It requires intentionality. Growth will not happen without a plan. It can be as simple as a reading plan, prayer plan or as complete as a plan that includes lifestyle development. A good growth plan should include:
- Relationships (Including your spiritual relationship)
- Physical
- Mental
While I’m in the process of finalizing my success strategy for 2015, if you haven’t begun to write your out, it’s not too late! Get started now. You are full of potential that wants to be developed and released in the New Year. Do your part by having a strategy in place; make this a part of your Life Palette. God has done His part and will continue in making your life a masterpiece!