Finish 2017 strong! #33

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals”  Zig Ziglar

Can you believe we have a few weeks to go before we begin 2018?  How has your year been?  Mine went very fast (I guess as you get older, time seems to fly past).  It has been a great year of growth, change and introspection.

As we wrap up 2017, what plans do you have for working towards achieving 1 or 2 of your goals, that remain uncompleted, and strive towards finishing strong?

You still have over 28 days to go!  In the corporate world, there is always the final push to close the year strong – by working harder to close some sales, or reduce expenses, to hit the year’s profit targets.  Can you apply this mindset to your personal year-end?

Lately I was reviewing some of my goals I had set at the beginning of the year, and I realized I had even forgotten about them, let alone trying to achieve them.  I spent most of last week reflecting on why I did not even work towards achieving them, and these goals were very important to me at the beginning of the year, and still remains so.  And of course this goal happened to be the important, but not urgent goals – not trying earn additional income, but looking to consistently support a far-flung community in Taraba State, Nigeria.  I kept asking myself questions like – why was I not as motivated to do those things that bring true fulfilment, but easier for me to get myself to looking for the next business deal?

I discovered the answer to my question from one of my mentors – who reminded me that I needed to revisit my goals, vision on a consistent basis so that I can raise the necessity of achieving the goal, as well as become more conscious of this goal.

The normal brain is wired to focus on what it is used to – focusing on the area of least resistance.  So for something that is not natural to it (or has not been done before), I have to make a conscious effort to bring it to my consciousness by reviewing it on a very regular basis, and remember why this goal is important to me.

I am now therefore committed to finishing strong in 2017 to accomplish one of those goals in December.  One that I know brings true fulfilment and ready to leap into 2018 with lots of positive energy.

How about you?  What one goal can you focus on for the rest of 2017 that will bring you true fulfilment.  Interestingly some of these goals don’t require so much of us.  It may mean something like going through your closet to sort out clothes and shoes you are no longer using, and give to the less-privileged in the society. It may also be catching up with old friends or repairing a good relationship that has gone sour.

You realize you get so busy with the hustle of making a living that you forget about the things that bring true satisfaction and joy.

As Zig Ziglar says in his quote, the goal is not really about ‘the goal’ per se, but more about the person you become by achieving it – joyful, compassionate,commitment etc.

What 1 goal can you focus to accomplish in the next 28 days to finish 2017 strong?