What Do You Want To Do Next Year?

Are you starting to dread the end of the year?

It’s the time when you may feel consumed by the immediate tasks and projects—both personally and professionally— that you need to complete in the next few weeks: presents, holiday parties, budgets, unpaid invoices, or annual reports.

At any time of year, it can be easy to get so busy that you lose sight of your most important goals.

They are easily lost in the daily routine—amidst the sticky notes, the lists on your smartphone apps, and handwritten pages of to-do items. And just as you are trying to just get across the December 31 finish line, or power through to your last work day of the year, those goals seem even farther away.

Decide now what you really want to focus on.

Even with the hustle and bustle, this is a good time to remind yourself what you want to accomplish in the new year. Maybe you keep pushing off a new job search, writing the article that you would like to get published, or developing a strategy for building a better team culture. 

Make a plan that you can implement.

Map out now to how you want to meet your objective. Also, consider ways to make it easier to stick to your plan, including by:

• Breaking down the challenges into smaller steps, such as scheduling a meeting with a recruiter, and researching what skills and experience are identified in postings for jobs that might be of interest to you.

• Finding an accountability partner — a friend, colleague, mentor or coach — with whom you can check-in and receive feedback on your progress.

• Soliciting input from others, for example, by sharing the topic of your article and asking people in your professional network for their input on it.

• Tracking your progress and reminding yourself of positive advancements along the way towards your objective.

Deciding to pursue your biggest goals may require your attention and time, but don’t pass up the opportunity. The end of the year is coming and with it the chance to turn the page for success.