This is the third post in a continuing series designed to help you create a great 2008 - using questions to reflect on last year, and project into the future. All of the questions and additional information can be found in this tool, available for you to download now.

The third question is:

How will I best use my skills?

My answer to this one is simple. I will use my skills to serve others.

I believe this approach I allows me to not only serve others, but reach my personal and business goals, and ultimately make the world a better place.

I plan to do this by writing, speaking, listening, consulting, and training. I plan to do this by caring about the needs of others.

So, how will you best use your skills, as an individual, as a team member, as a leader (insert any other role in your life here)?

As with all of these questions, I welcome your comments and even your answers.

Labels: goals, learning, questions, skills

This is the second post in a continuing series designed to help you create a great 2008 - using questions to reflect on last year, and project into the future. All of the questions and additional information can be found in this tool, available for you to download now.

The second question is:

What are my five most important goals for this year?

While I believe it is valuable to share your most important goals with one or a few people (specifically people who will be supportive of you reaching those goals), I don't know that I want to share ALL of my most important goals with the entire world in this forum. Besides our family goal setting for the year isn't finished (we will work on that more this evening), so I couldn't present a completely prioritized list anyway.

Having said all that, I am prepared to share some of my goals here. Here are some of them:

- I will successfully complete the Indianapolis Mini Marathon in May.
- I will return to my goal weight of 178 (I wasn't very diligent in this area during the holidays).
- I will complete my next book.
- I will be a much more active blogger.
- I will learn more and be more active as a social networker.

After reading this list, I encourage you to read my last post. When you compare the lists from these two posts you will notice similarities. I hope that when you have answered these two questions you will find similarities as well. Having goals that you are genuinely excited about improves your chances for success significantly.

Note too that I have already taken daily steps towards all of these goals - and if you want to reach a goal, you need to be actively taking steps towards them.

1. I have been training for the Mini (which addresses the first two goals)
2. I have been outlining the new book over the past several weeks - and spend mental time on it last night while driving.
3. This very series of posts is a part of my strategy to be a more active blogger.
4. I've taken the plunge and joined Facebook. I'd love for you request friend ship with me if you are a member, or you could become a member, and know you'll have one friend right away!

If you haven't started your goal setting for the New Year, now is a great time. I encourage you to do all of the questions in this process as a part of that process. If you already have the goals set, great - doing the reflective questions and the rest of the projective questions will accelerate you towards success.

Labels: goals, questions, resolutions

This is the first post in a continuing series designed to help you create a great 2008 - using questions to reflect on last year, and project into the future. All of the questions and additional information can be found in this tool, available for you to download now.

Here then is the first of the 13 projection questions . . .

What excites me about the New Year?

The list of things that excite me about 2008 is a long one. Here are some key ones:

- I am excited by the opportunity to travel overseas with my family.
- I am excited about writing my next book.
- I am excited to learn more about social networks, and build connections with more people.
- I am excited to complete some major projects with my wife.
- I am excited to impact the lives of many people and organizations through our consulting training and speaking services.
- I am excited to help people on their paths towards becoming remarkable leaders.
- I am excited about watching my kids grow up.

Thinking about the things that excite us is a great place to start in goal and resolution setting. While we'll talk more about that tomorrow, I encourage you to start getting excited, by thinking about what excites you!

Labels: goals, questions, resolutions

Earlier this week there was a tragedy in Blacksburg, VA that all of us have heard about, read about, talked about and thought about. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved in this horrible situation. Lives were lost, families torn apart and people have experienced things that will be with them for the rest of their lives. All of this is true.

But unless you are a university official, law enforcement officer or are personally involved in this event, I urge you to stop.

Stop watching.
Stop listening.
Stop reading.
and stop thinking about the event.

I urge you to do this not because I am cold or unfeeling. In fact, my motive is quite the opposite.

The more you watch it, the more you will be demotivated by it, the more it will cloud your vision of what is good about the world, the more it will make you wonder about "all those crazy people out there", and the less it will allow you to trust humanity.

Plus, think about what you could have done with all of the time you've been glued to CNN, reading the news stories or talking about it with friends.

You could have worked on a goal, read a book, or hugged a child (build your own list here).

Are there great storites that are starting to be told? Stories of heroism and bravery? I'm sure there are, but I haven't heard them, because once I learned the basics of the story, I have chosen not to watch for all the reasons why I've urged you to stop.

Stop watching.
Stop listening.
Stop reading.

Start working.
Start moving towards your goals.

and keep praying for all of those involved.

Labels: attitude, goals, Virginia Tech