Best Year Yet

“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”

The Cheshire Cat

Alice in Wonderland

Do you know where you’re going?  And do you keep your eye on that destination at all times?

If you have a crystal clear 12-month vision for your life, then give yourself a great big pat on the back because you’re a member of a very small elite group. Most people have lots of wishes: “I wish I had more money,” “I wish I could lose weight,” “I wish business was better,” – or they have a few thoughts about what they think they want: “I want a second home,” “I want more clients,” “I want another income stream.”  Unfortunately, thoughts and wishes do not a vision make.

You might be wondering why a vision is so essential.  Consider this: if you go into your garage, get in your car, back out of the driveway, and don’t know where you’re going, what would happen? What if you didn’t know if you wanted to go to Miami or Malibu?  You could end up in the middle of nowhere. You must have a destination.

What would happen if you went to the airport, walked up to the ticket counter and asked “Can I have a ticket?”  The ticket agent will ask where you want to go.

It’s plain and simple: “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” …and you may end up someplace you don’t want to be.

According to Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the second habit of successful people is to “begin with the end in mind.”  In other words, start with a clear understanding of your ultimate destination.

So the very first step in planning for your life isn’t creating a plan. The first step – I like to call it Step Zero – is to create your vision, your “big picture” of what you want your life to look like.  This picture becomes the foundation from which your goals are designed and the basis for your Best Year Yet plan, so it’s crucial.

I recently joined a newly formed book club. Last week I was driving to our first meeting with 4 other women. One of the women asked what I find to be the biggest hang-up for people when it comes to being happy and successful. I had to stop and think about it a bit because more than one thing came into my mind. Ultimately I shared two thoughts, the first one being this: most people don’t know what they really want. While they may have a general idea, (they want to be successful, they want to make more money, etc.) they don’t really know what they want in specifics. They don’t have a future vision. If you don’t know what you want, how can you ever get it?

Once your future vision is created, you decide what high level goals you must achieve to reach that future vision. Those high level goals then get broken down into smaller goals or sub-goals, which become the stepping stones on your way to your future vision. (Your Best Year Yet plan is your best friend when it comes to this process.)

A couple of years ago, about four months into the year, I decided I wasn’t having my best year yet. Not even close. As I tried to figure out what was going on, I finally had to admit to myself that I had created my BYY plan based on a vision I had created the year prior. Well… things change.  Life happens. I needed to create a new vision. The new vision resulted in the tweaking of some of my goals. I’m happy to report that within 30 days, life started looking a whole lot better.

Your vision should be in writing.  If you have the picture in your mind, you’ll find it will become even clearer when you put it in writing.  If you don’t have a vision at all, there’s no better time than the present to create one.

Here’s my challenge to you: if you don’t currently have a detailed, written future vision for what you want your life to look like in 12 months, get out your calendar right now. Block out two hours sometime in the next 7 days to work on your vision, and make a commitment to yourself that you’ll do it no matter what.

Only when you know exactly where you want to go, can you create the goals and the plan to take you there.  When you know exactly where you want to go, the Universe will conspire to help you reach your destination.

Here’s to your best year yet!

Valerie Taloni, the Goal Diva, helps you set and achieve your biggest goals. An author, facilitator and coach, Valerie credits her success to two things: goal setting and masterminding. The Goal Diva facilitates mastermind groups for solo entrepreneurs.  Learn more about the Goal Diva and take advantage of a complimentary goal setting strategy session at The Goal Diva.com

A friend of mine is a private pilot and flight instructor and has been for many years. I recently queried Mike about flying solo versus with a co-pilot. While he loves flying solo, Mike was quick to share that flying with a co-pilot is great and has many benefits: it’s always easier and safer. It’s more fun to have someone along for the ride. Having a co-pilot ensures resources are properly utilized. When necessary, the co-pilot can provide assistance, feedback, another set of eyes and another set of ears.

Mike went on to say “Flying with a co-pilot can be beneficial in normal operations, but it becomes more of a factor in fatiguing situations or when there are problems. On long cross- country flights where there is an objective (mission) to the flight and/or challenging weather situations are present, almost any pilot would ask the pilot passenger to assist.”

Just like my pilot friend Mike, the most successful – and happy – individuals I know prefer to have a “co-pilot” in their personal and business lives. In fact, they may have several co-pilots. The successful people I know regularly seek out the support, feedback and advice of others. They ask for help.

If there’s something you need to achieve your goals, and someone else can help you, why not ask for help? Imagine you’re driving around town and your car starts to make crazy noises. You don’t know how to solve the problem.  What do you do?  You ask someone – who knows more about cars than you – for help, right?

If the thought of asking for help gives you a lump in your throat, think of it this way: in general, most people love to be asked to help. (Don’t you like to help others succeed?) Seeking support is not an admission of failure or something about which you should feel embarrassed. Quite the contrary. Asking for help can be a sign of strength, plus… it’s a clever tactic to help you achieve your goals.

In our personal or business lives, co-pilots may come in various forms. Occasionally a friend, family member or colleague can serve as your co-pilot, though it’s not always the wisest choice. It can be difficult for someone who knows you well – and has a vested interest in you – to be objective.

So what are your options? Whether you’re looking for support in your business or personal life, one suggestion is to consider joining a mastermind or peer group. You can even form a group of your own. A mastermind group is a gathering of like-minded individuals, who brainstorm, assist, and support each other. Masterminding has existed throughout history. Napoleon Hill wrote about the concept of the mastermind group in his best sellerThink and Grow Rich, which was first published in 1937. In the book, he wrote that belonging to a mastermind group is one of the 13 steps to riches.

Belonging to such a group provides encouragement and support. Whether a business or personal mastermind / peer group, here are just a few of the benefits you can derive by joining one:

Get a new perspective.

Find novel solutions.

Get practical advice.

Set goals and be held accountable for reaching them.

Have a support system.

I believe wholeheartedly in belonging to a mastermind or peer group. Some of my best ideas and biggest successes have been the result of masterminding. If the idea of joining a mastermind group appeals to you, take it to the next step and do some homework:

Learn about the different types of mastermind or peer groups

Assess potential groups

Find a group that meets your needs

The bottom line is you really can’t lose when you participate in a mastermind or peer group that’s a fit for you. Decide what your goals are, find a group that will help you reach them, and join.

Another option for having a co-pilot is to hire a professional coach. By now, most of us have heard of business coaches and life coaches.  People in all walks of life have been hiring professional coaches since “coaching” became a recognized profession in the mid 1990′s. The International Coach Federation defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.  I also recommend that you find out about hiring a Best Year Yet Coach.

Strong coaches are trained to ask you just the right questions to get you to come up with your own answers. Coaches are both great listeners and great observers. The way in which each coach works is influenced by his or her professional background, training as a coach and his or her life story. Many coaches offer a complimentary initial consultation so you can determine if the coach is a fit for you.

Remember what my friend Mike said about having a co-pilot? (It’s easier and more fun. It’s beneficial in normal situations, but much more of a factor in challenging situations.) The same applies to you in your life and/or business.

One more thing… even with all their experience, airline captains are required to have two co-pilots: the first officer in the adjacent seat and the dispatcher on the ground in radio contact. Whether you decide on a peer group or engaging a coach, the bottom line is one of the smartest steps you can take on your path to success is to get and use support.

Why not grab yourself a co-pilot or two today?

Valerie Taloni has been a Best Year Yet Coach for more than 10 years.  Known as the Goal Diva, she helps you set and achieve your biggest goals. Through clarity of vision, goal setting, action planning and implementation, business leaders and entrepreneurs produce results. Valerie is the author of “Burn Your Wish List! How to Stop Hoping for the Best and Start Planning for Success.” Get your free audio, “The Goal Diva’s 3 Most Powerful Goal Setting Strategies” at  The Goal Diva.com.  Contact Valerie directly at Valerie@TheGoalDiva.com.