December 2006

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Make 2007 Your
Best Year Ever

As we begin a New Year, I invite you to take the time to reflect on your key experiences for 2006 and to determine where you want to focus your energy for 2007. Life can feel so busy that we at times feel overwhelmed with too much information and all we have to accomplish. However, when we take the time to create a clear game plan we are much more likely to live the life of our dreams.

Click on this link for the Review of 2006 and Goals for 2007. This useful tool will help you sort your thoughts and further define what is of utmost importance to you. Find some quiet time where you can let your mind wander; embrace whatever ideas come to your mind. Don’t allow yourself to dwell on negative thoughts though. Remember, you possess the innate ability to make and achieve any goal you wish for.

Once you’ve made your goals for 2007, keep them in front of you on an ongoing basis. Researach indicates that as much as 88 percent of the North American population creates New Year’s Resolutions. Most people make their resolutions with good intentions. However, according to a survey of 12,000 people, 30 percent of those who make resolutions have dumped them by February. Fast forward six months and four in five will have given up on their goal.

Why is it so Hard to Keep a New Year’s Resolution?

One of the primary reasons resolutions fall by the wayside is a lack of clear planning. To further complicate the issue, many also lack the discipline for follow through. Clear planning brings a sense of clarity, direction, and focus. And when you know exactly what it is you want, it is far easier to have the required discipline to make your goals reality.

Finding Your Inner Strength to Make and Achieve Your Goals

Keeping your motivation strong is essential to attaining your goals. Develop images of your goals that involve as many senses as possible. The more sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches you put into your pictures, the more likely your image will turn into reality. If you feel your motivation slipping away, tap into what motivated you to make the goal to begin with. Find those feelings and re-boost them.

In a recent television interview, singer Celine Dion was asked if she ever thought she'd sell millions of records and be on tour, singing in front of tens of thousands of people each week. The singer replied that none of this surprised her, as she had pictured the whole thing since she was five years old.

That's right. Celine Dion tapped into the power of imaging ... and she became the star that she had always pictured.

Famous golfer Jack Nicklaus never takes a golf shot without first mentally visualizing the precise trajectory of his swing, the flight of the ball, and the spot where it lands.

Quite simply, peak performers rehearse their desired actions and outcomes — IN THEIR MINDS — before they actually occur. They don't leave challenging, difficult, or important situations to chance. They rehearse these situations mentally.

Honor Commitments to Yourself

If we truly want to move forward in our lives we need to honor the commitments we make to ourselves. Some find it easier to honor the commitments made to others than to themselves. However, as you choose to honor the commitments you make to yourself, you create a ‘feel-good’ state that perpetuates more of the same behaviour.

Performance Review

Your goals and strategic plan should be treated as a ‘living document’ that grows and changes with you. Regularly review your top 3 personal and your top 3 professional goals and make sure you are on track for making them happen. At the end of each month, review and evaluate the progress you have made. As you evaluate the past month, make necessary adjustments to your strategy, and refine your plans and goals for the upcoming month.

The more time you put into this process, fully completing the Review of 2006 and Goals for 2007, the richer your results will be. Take the time to plan your year; you’ll be glad you did!

Points to Ponder:

• Select your top goal that you are absolutely commited to acheiving.
  
  
• Create a picture of that goal, totally achieved, along with all of its accompanying sights, sounds, feelings, and tastes.
  
  
• Focus on that picture a few minutes a day, every day, and watch your success soar.
  

Strategix is committed to helping you achieve ever-higher levels of success and satisfaction. If you have any questions or concerns that I can help you with, please write me at coramarie@strategix-ltd.com or phone me at 403.686.6136.
I’d love to help make this your best year yet!

About the Author

CoraMarie Clark, BSDH MBA is recognized as a highly effective dental practice strategist. She works with dentists that want to optimize their potential both personally and professionally. Her collaborative approach has helped teams develop dynamic competitive strategies and achieve high impact sustainable results.

If you would like to explore the possibility of having CoraMarie work with your Dental Practice or speak for your Association or Group, contact us today.

CoraMarie Clark
phone 403.686.6136
email coramarie@strategix-ltd.com
web strategix-ltd.com

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