It's That Goal-Setting Time of Year Again

The week between Christmas and New Year's always seems to be a slow one at work, making it an opportune time to take a step back from your life, look at where you've been, where you're going, and maybe set some goals for the upcoming year.

I was just over at Consumerism Commentary reading this post linking to stories about other bloggers' 2007 goals. I had a good time looking at people's goals and realizing how similar they are to mine, and to basically everyone I know. I recommend taking a look at some of these, you just might find some inspiration there.

We all seem to want to exercise more, we want to spend more time with our families, and we want to improve our financial security. I've achieved a few goals in the past and the best advice I can give is to make it a priority, figure out the pitfalls in advance (ie- what are the things that have prevented me from doing this in the past), and start small. If you want to start a new exercise routine or something, be fully aware that the first few weeks are going to be the most difficult, but they are also the most important. The inertia of not exercising, not saving, and not spending time with your family is a powerful thing and you have to hit it like a wrecking ball.

I always make it a point to get into the office at least a few days in the week between Christmas and New Years (if possible) because, since it is usually so slow, it gives you the perfect opportunity to clean up your workspace by throwing out a bunch of old documents and files. It's also a great week to devote a day or an afternoon to the big picture thinking you might otherwise never get the chance to do. For more on big picture thinking and how it can help you, check out this post I wrote.

If you haven't already done so, why not take some time this week to set some goals for next year? The following are some links to help you jump-start your thinking:

mindtools.com
topachievement.com
about.com