There is much written and talked about at this time of the year to achieve the goals you really care about and have the year you really want. We tend to get what we ‘expect’ rather than what we ‘want’, but often what we ‘expect’ is not good enough, exciting enough, meaningful enough or motivating enough. If you are likely to engage in self sabotage and sleep-walk your way in to, and out of, 2015 and wonder why it didn’t live up to what you ‘wanted’ then the following will help – but only if you have an hour for yourself! 1. 2014 Reflection… As you’ll know, reflection is one of the most powerful things you can do in the interest of self-development and learning – so set aside a quiet hour with a pen and paper and do the following: But before you start, this exercise has every chance of failure if you don’t commit to writing and engage emotionally as well as intellectually………. Take a note of all the successes you had in 2014. Write the successes down and accrue them to yourself like ‘chips on your side of the poker table’. The more successes on your side of the table, the more you are likely to take the risks associated with engaging in the ‘game of life’ that will be 2015 to create history. Notice what you define as a success – this is not a time for modesty, nor do successes need to be huge publicly recognisable successes. So long as they are meaningful to you that’s all that matters. Take a note of the ‘meaning’ those successes have for you. Take a note of what you learned during the year. Doing this ensures you are growing, developing, changing and ultimately getting more of what you want, and less of what you don’t want, from your business and life. List the priorities by which you actually lived 2014. In other words, if there was a summary documentary of your life in 2014, what would that documentary show as the priorities you lived your life by – not necessarily the priorities you should or could have lived by? The priorities must be listed 1, 2, 3, … 2. The History made in 2015… List the priorities by which you will live 2015. Write down the history of 2015. On the basis that you can only be attracted to a thought, write down, on a page or two, how your business and life is on the 31st December 2015. Often called a ‘meta-view’ and also widely used by professional athletes – the golden rule here is to write it in the present tense (I am, I have, etc) and be as specific as you can in terms of hard details (i.e. facts) and soft details (i.e. how you feel). In simple terms, imagine being asked at the end of 2014 “so how was 2015 for you and/or your business?”. Maybe consider your Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual needs. Put these few pages in an envelope, only share with those you trust, and even if you never refer to it during the year, watch what will happen. Create an image board of any images you can find that represent what your 2015 will be. This ensures that you are staying focused on what you expect to happen and stops unhelpful images populating your thoughts. Action is Character! – Now that you’ve taken this action you have probably made one of your best investments for 2015 – now just ‘be present’ and take action one small step every day. Have a great 2015! Dave