Want Your Best Year Ever? Plan For It

Last year, I wanted a big shift in my life.

I was in a hole, a darkness of my own making.

I wanted to improve, be in a better place, earn more, feel better, and have more freedom in my life.

But I always have wanted these, even in previous years.  What made last year successful for me?  In fact, my best year ever?

I planned for it.  Here’s how I did it.

Intentionality and Focus: A Theme

What planning for the year gives you, and along with that setting goals, tasks, and to-dos to achieve your goals, is intentionality and focus for the year.

I’ve had experiences where I set a new year’s resolution, or several, and they never work out.  I don’t end up doing anything big to attain the result, the change that I want.

Planning makes your intentions for the year, and for yourself, real and actionable.  This then focus for you, your actions, your tasks, and your choices for the coming year.

Your intention and focus for the year can be captured by a theme.  A short statement championing what you want to achieve for the year.  In a general, holistic sense.  Since I articulated my goals and milestones as well.

For 2015, it was my intention and focus to have a FAB year – a year Full of Abundant Breakthroughs.

I was looking for change, and along with changes in my life situation and where I was, this also included changes in my mindset and beliefs.  I wanted to believe in abundance, and to break through what was stopping me from getting to where I want.

Identify Specific Activities and Milestones

Then, I identified specific goals, action points, and milestones that I wanted to achieve for the year.

I admit, this wasn’t going to be a year to year thing for me.  All this planning was also informed by a mission statement that I drafted earlier last year.  That, and an idea on the kind of life that I wanted to be living.  Which will have to also be specified and refined further.

It’s all a work in progress.

What’s important is you put in the work to get progress.

Specific milestones that I wanted to achieve this year was:

To transition into a career that had more benefits, not only financially, but emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  And still aligned with my purpose and mission in life.

To propose, get engaged, and plan marriage and the life after.

To get stronger and in better physical shape.

And to change my limiting mindsets and beliefs.

At first, that seemed like a lot to do in a span of one year, and all of them required work.

But thanks to the plan, I was able to do them all, and still find room for improvement and progress for the next year.

For each specific milestone, I also identified specific activities I had to get done to get progress in that area.  Which I then monitored and watched to see if I was doing them.

And they weren’t grand, big tasks.  Rather small tasks done repeatedly and consistently.

Start Small, Believe in a System

Deliberately, I kept the actions and tasks small and easily achievable, so I made sure I would be able to do them.  That, and I went for consistency.  I made sure I did the tasks and activities several times a week.  And I kept score.

I let the activities, tasks, scoring, schedule, consistency – a system, do the work for me.  As long I trusted in the system, did the activities, and trusted in myself and the hope for improvement, I’d see results.

I kept telling myself: “It’s only a matter of time.”

If you do the work, and do it religiously, not holding back, going all out, with intentionality, then yes.  It will only be a matter of time before you see results.

To get in better shape, I started out with doing one pushup per day.  Then it became two, until I got to fifteen.  Then two sets of fifteen.  Then three sets of fifteen.

I didn’t see results for the longest time.  Until one day, I started feeling better in the mornings, filled with a tad bit more confidence.  I also found out I was stronger, I weighed the same, but I dropped around 3 inches in my waistline.

Old clothes started to fit again.  All because I trusted in a system and consistent actions, and didn’t look for instant results.

Results, change, take time to develop and take root.  It takes time to change the momentum of your old life and habits, to change them into your new life and habits.

Live, and Act, with Purpose

Again, it all starts with your purpose, with being intentional, and maintaining focus.

Whenever I’d get lazy, lose focus, or think of skipping the tasks and activities, I’d remember what it was all for, and to what end I was doing it all for.

I even put up reminders around my room.  And put my scoreboard in a place I easily see.

One thing that separates extraordinary lives I’ve come across, from everyone else, is the amount of intentionality and focus they live with their lives.

Their actions, thoughts, beliefs, all align to support their dreams, their goals, and in making it all come true.

Wouldn’t you want to achieve in a year what you otherwise wouldn’t be able to?

Plan out what you want to achieve for your next year.

Live and act with intentionality and focus.

 

What’s one thing you want to achieve for the next year?  Please share in the comments below!

 

P.S. I’m sharing some tools and tips to help you get a plan together:

Some time back, I wrote a 5-piece article on the 4 ways I changed my life, which captures the lessons I learned planning out and achieving what I set out to do for that year.

Here are the links:

Go For Action And Application

So What’s Stopping You From Taking Action?

Learn From It, Don’t Stay In It

Sharpen Your Tools, Be A Better You

A Goal Is Not Enough