We are in the home stretch now. Today is the last Monday of the year 2011. Next Monday will be the beginning of an entirely new year. We have today and five more days to close the book on 2011 and begin a new book for 2012.
To finish our discussion about “Your Best Year Yet!” by Jinny S. Ditzler, we have a few more questions to consider briefly:
What are my personal values?
This question seeks to uncover the driving force behind the things that we do. If we are not tuned in to what is our hidden unconscious drive, we are unlikely to feel very satisfied once we have achieved our stated objective. We need to be aware of what we are really trying to achieve and tap into the motivation that this drive will produce in us.
I hope you have an opportunity to read Jinny Ditzler’s book and complete her exercises. Jinny lays out a good discussion about some of the different life pursuit paradigms we might be unconsciously following and how limiting or empowering our life pursuit paradigm choice might be.
What roles do I play in my life?
This question provides several benefits:
- It provides direction.
- It places your values at the center of your life.
- It makes it natural to focus on how to share your gifts.
- It generates balance in your life.
- It increases your natural motivation.
Count the number of roles that you play, and consider whether some of them could be grouped together in focus. Jinny suggests limiting our list of roles to no more than seven or eight.
Which role is my major focus for the next year?
To help us determine the answer to this question, Jinny provides us with a Whole Life Review Chart. We build this review chart to plot our performance rating for each of the roles we perform in our lives. Once we connect the dots, we can see where we may be out of balance and in need of more focus. I highly recommend this visual performance and balance check.
What are my goals for each role?
Jinny’s chapter about setting goals will guide you to create powerful goals that are specific, measurable, actionable, and appropriate.
What are my top ten goals for the next year?
Jinny shows us how to write out our best year plan, how to prioritize our list of goals, and then how to summarize the four principal parts of the “Best Year Yet Plan.” Our final one page document -- our best year plan -- will include the guidelines we created to advise us along the way, the new paradigm we framed to empower our thinking, the major focus we identified to give us direction, and the top ten goals we shaped to give us achievable possibility.
How can I make sure I achieve my top ten goals?
Jinny provides suggestions and questions that will encourage our success, such as:
- Keep the plan visible (how can I keep my awareness high?)
- Be aware of external factors (what’s the next step?)
- Find and use a support system (who can provide the support I need?)
- Keep focused on the paradigm that will lead to success (does the way I see the problem lead to success?)
One day I was on an early morning run about 5:30 am before the sun came up. My running headlamp brightened a small path in the road before me. The sound of my breathing was my sole company. I heard a slight rustling in the bushes behind the wire fence that lined the road about 5 feet ahead of me. Startled, I stopped short and trained my lamp in the direction of the noise. There stood a brilliant white unicorn not much taller than I. I held my breath as I took in the delicate sight before me. A small white pony gazed back at me, but for a breathless few seconds, anything was possible.
I urge you to create that vision where anything is possible, because we need this attitude in order to create the kind of life that we want to live. For a few brief seconds, hold your breath and visualize the unimaginable, the impossible, and the wonderful. Let the image soak in to your very core. Drink it in and let it fill you up. Allow yourself to experience the joy of the vision that you have created in your own mind. Let the image strengthen your faith and your belief that anything is indeed possible.
Now go out there and get to work. I want to hear from you at the end of 2012 when you write to tell me how proud you are of your created life and how you shared your gifts to accomplish much in the world.
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