January First

Having survived half a century of January Firsts, I have some experience and lessons learned in setting up a new year. The initial years of my adult life, I didn't take the importance of a new year as seriously as I should have. There just seemed to be so many in front of me.

January First is the key to a successful year. But my first step in making sure it is maximized is to step back one day. December 31st is my day of reflection. To make January First the most impactful I can, I need to take all the choices and decisions I made, all the actions I took, all the results I achieved and use the power of hindsight to learn from them. I can then take this insight and apply it going forward. That's what can make January First so powerful. I can compare what I set up to achieve last January First with what I actually did by December 31st. This can be incredibly effective if you'll just be honest with yourself. Celebrate the victories and learn from where you fell short.

Next step is setting the goals for the coming year. Scripture tells us:

"Where there is no vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29:18 

Knowing this, you have to get a vision for your next 364 days. Focus on all of you; mind, body, and spirit. Determine what you want to accomplish in those three areas. Having studied goal-setting for a long time, I recommend the S.M.A.R.T. goal methodology with one exception. S.M.A.R.T. is an acrostic for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based. The one change I recommend is enlarging and expanding what you consider to be "Attainable." Know that you are capable of much more than you even imagine. Don't shy away from setting big goals. In fact, replace "Attainable" with "Audacious" in your S.M.A.R.T. process. Remember Michelangelo said:

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark."

And this powerful quote from Paulo Coelo:

"Impossible is just an opinion."

Get your Specific, Measurable, Audacious, Relevant, and Time-based goals for your mind, body, and spirit written down. Include personal, professional, relational and financial goals. Now start laying out an action plan on how best to accomplish them. Set milestones. Focus on how you will accomplish these goals in the time-frame you've allotted.

Finally, take your plan and start acting on it. December 31st is my reflection time. January 1st is my planning time and January 2nd begins my action time. Check your progress periodically. Some goals you need to review daily, some weekly, at the longest, monthly. Don't let too much time go by without a thorough review of where you are right now. Again, honesty with yourself is the best policy! Make adjustments as necessary to keep you on track.

Throughout this process, I recommend prayer. Prayerfully reflecting, planning, and acting makes each activity much more effective.

Reflect, plan, and act. Do these things with today being the day you plan it all out and I guarantee you the next 364 days will be the most productive and satisfying of your life. It all begins with January First!

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13&14 (NIV)