Planning is the basis for success. Any success first starts with planning.

This is how I became successful.

Imagine yourself at the end of the year. What do you want for yourself and your life this year?

  • What do you want to own?
  • How much money do you want to make?
  • What do you want to experience?
  • Who do you want to be?

 

Consider planning the following areas of your life.

  1. Income
  2. Skills and Abilities
  3. Health
  4. Achievements
  5. Family
  6. Spirituality
  7. Assets

For each of these areas of your life, write down 10-20 goals for 2018.

These goals should have a long-term impact on your life. These dreams are strategically important for your success this year and in years to come.

Plan at least 10-20 strategically important tasks for the year. Throughout the year, create mini-goals that are flexible and can be adjusted to reach your annual goals.

1. INCOME:

Your income directly impacts all other parts of your life. By the end of the year, you should have the income you want.

What is your income goal for the year? Be specific about percentage increase or dollar amount, but don’t be derailed by thinking how you will achieve it just yet.

Review last year’s income and plan how much you want to earn by the end of the year.

2. SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Your knowledge is your greatest asset. By continuously improving your skills and abilities, you are able to grow not only yourself but everyone and everything that surrounds you.

What do you want to learn? In what way do you want to grow your knowledge? Who do you become? How many books do you want to read?

By the end of the year, what new skills or abilities will you have?

3. HEALTH

Most people ignore their overall health until they become sick. Be proactive, and focus on your health now.

What are your health goals–lose weight, improve diet, exercise more, decrease your blood pressure? Whatever it is, be specific about exactly what you want to achieve related to your health by the end of the year?

4. ACHIEVEMENTS

Have you been waiting to start or finish a big project such as beginning a certification program, defending your dissertation, or publishing your book? You must specifically write down your goal so your brain understands what you are trying to achieve this year.

What achievement do you want to be recognized for, or just be proud of, this year?

5. FAMILY

You create harmony and happiness by spending quality time with your family.

What goals do you have as a family? What activities do you want to do with your family?

 

6. SPIRITUALITY

Spirituality is not simply about being religious or going to church although that may be your goal this year. It is also about serving others such as volunteering and giving to charity as well as learning from wise people.

How do you want to serve others more this year?

7. ASSETS

Assets add security to your future. They may create additional income.

What assets do you want to own–real estate, intellectual patent–this year?

 

Create balance and harmony in your overall life by planning for each area of your life. Write down goals for all seven areas and work on them equally throughout the year. No area of your life is more important than another.

Understand the difference between dreams and tasks. Your dreams should be big, but real and achievable. Your tasks are the actions you take to achieve your dreams.

When you dream, your mind creates a plan to reach your dream. If you do not at first achieve your dream on time, you don’t change your dream, you correct the plan. There are no unachievable dreams, only wrong strategic plans or wrong timing.

Planning strategically benefits your overall life. The strategic plan should serve you for years to come, and improve the quality of your life.

For the first 30 days, you should study your dreams and plan; know them by heart. They should always be in the active part of your brain. During your bad times, remember your dreams and keeping working to make them a reality.

Success is not the end, failure is not the death. The most important thing is the actions you take once you identify your dreams. What will you do next?

It doesn’t matter if you achieve or if you fail. Don’t think about the past or let the past stop you. It’s not the end. Sometimes plans don’t work and that’s ok. What’s important is what you do next.

If you don’t have a plan, you have already lost. Your plan is most important to understand where you are going. The amount of attention you place on the plan is proportionate to the amount of your plan you will achieve.

As Brian Tracy said, “Poor people dream. Wealthy people dream, plan, and act.”

Most people don’t know what they want and don’t know where to start. Start with creating your goals and planning.

By the end of this year, you will climb 1-2 steps up from where you started. When you move up, you will be happy and feel successful.

How do you plan for the year?