How to start off 2014 with a blast!

First of all, welcome back to the Smart Self Development Plan! I know, I know, this is the first article in 2014 that I am writing, shame on me. Or, maybe not, because these last weeks after Christmas, I have been working like crazy (getting very little sleep) to get one of my final goals of 2013 accomplished. I finished my 300-page book, which I am planning to publish next month. It is now with the editor, so, I have some time to breathe and write to you folks! Yeah!! So now, let’s get to today’s topic:

If you could think of just one thing that you would like to accomplish in 2014 what would it be?

Think about it.

Really.

Just one thing. Not a long list of New Years Resolutions, no. Just one thing. What would help you to make 2014 an even better year for you?

Try to picture yourself in December 2014. You stand in front of the mirror in your bathroom. You look straight into the mirror. Who do you see? Imagine that person would smile at you and just say one thing, what would that be?

If you cannot think of anything right now, that is okay.

Maybe you’d rather ask yourself: What would I like to change this year? What could I change within a year, realistically?

The reason why I am asking you to do this exercise is for three reasons:

1. In January, we all (including me) generally get carried away with setting lots of nice goals for too many topics for the year. Then in March, at the latest, we realize that we put too many things on the list, so we have difficulties to choose and to maintain momentum. The boxes do not get ticked.
2. In order to have a year-long goal, which means twelve month to reach it, it also means that in order to achieve this goal you need to have a vision in your head. A picture of what you want (it) to be like. We, human, can connect better emotionally when we see pictures. Don’t ask me the scientific reasons for this, because I am not an expert on this. But it is true.
3. I would like to see you accomplish this goal. For you.

In case you have just read the post up to this point and you save the exercise for later, let me share with you quickly what I came up with when I asked myself this very question: “If you could think of just one thing that you would like to accomplish in 2014 what would it be?”

My answer is: “I want to be fitter and healthier”.

Now, what does that mean?

Well, I want to move this year from being an entrepreneur who works too much, but put private matters first more often. I want to have more time to do sports. I want to do a cycling trip in autumn this year.

Lots of “I want’s” in there, I know, but I made it like this to make it easier for me to tie little monthly and daily SMART goals to those.

And in order to achieve this, I actually signed up for a Lean Eating Program. That will hopefully give me a push when I need one.

So, there you have it. That is my one thing that I want to accomplish in 2014.

What is yours?

 

P.S.: It happens the first anniversary of this blog this month, so, please give us a little shout out in the comments below!! Go, and write a sentence about  “your thing” that you want to accomplish in 2014. I am interested!