We are now living in what I call ‘The Great Reset’, which will require each of us to reevaluate our own effectiveness and value in society. In ‘The Great Reset’, we will experience many changes that will affect not only our lives, but the lives of the next generation as well.

I hope you are all planning for this. I have discussed this in previous newsletters. Now is the time to;

• Take control of your retirement planning and stop letting someone else plan your future
• Educate yourself for tomorrow’s workplace, not rely on yesterday’s skills
• Learn a foreign language, computer programming, web design, trading options, etc.
• Start a business
• Expand or diversify your existing business
• Reduce clutter from your life
• Eliminate unnecessary distractions that have no positive impact on your happiness
• Build a wall of protection around your assets
• Improve your health; eat better, exercise more
• Spend time with friends and family
• Move abroad

I briefly discussed goal setting in the October 21, 2010 newsletter, but since this is the start of a new year, it is certainly relevant now. I will share with you my strategy and reasoning for goal setting.
First of all, what gets measured gets done. A good friend of mine recently said, “When you are making your New Year’s resolutions, if they don’t have a $, #, or % in them, they aren’t goals, only dreams.”
Goal setting is critically important to success in life. Take your own survey and ask the 10 most successful people you know if they set goals. I doubt you will get a single no. More importantly though, is that your goals need to be measurable and attainable.

If you are living your life without goals, it’s like playing basketball without a net. You are really just running around playing with your balls…

Each year I take a short trip alone to reflect on last year’s achievements and the next year’s goal setting. I find it very helpful to get away from the distractions of home where my mind is able to focus on the task at hand. Usually it is only for a couple of days. Sometimes I just take a short trip and hold up in a hotel. I have even gone camping before. But the point is to get in a distraction free zone to concentrate. Your goals are your life plans. They deserve the attention.

Once on site, I begin with writing the four goal categories down on separate note pads; personal, professional, family and financial. For each category, I brainstorm things I do and do not like to do.
After this is done, I study each list one at a time and formulate several items I would like to achieve over the course of the next year. Then, each goal gets rated in order of significance. Once this has been done for each category, I take the top 3-5 goals in each category and write them in my journal and discard the ones remaining.

Keep in mind, these steps are rather time consuming. It is not an easy task, but one certainly worth the investment. I have been doing this process for over 15 years now without fail and while I have not reached every goal each year, it certainly has been very rewarding and worth the time.

As an aside, your goals do need to be attainable, but not easily so. For example, if you earn $100k per year, a goal of $105 is just too easy. Set a goal that stretches you to new heights. If it is possible, but very difficult to earn $150k, make this your goal. But $105k is just damn lazy.

Once I have completed these steps, I make sure to read my goals weekly. Something magical happens in your subconscious when you read your goals written by your own hand. Your mind starts looking for solutions to achieve your goals. You make decisions that lead you toward achievement of those goals. In the absence of written goals, how do you make daily decisions?

I have also found that sharing your goals with a group (or individual) of likeminded people helps you maintain accountability. Over the past few years I have begun sharing the goals with a group of other entrepreneurs that I admire and respect. We track them in a googledocs spreadsheet that we all have access to for updates. Each month we meet and go over our goals. No one wants to be the guy who did nothing toward his goals.

Whatever method you use to set and track your goals, I highly encourage you to find something that works for you. Maybe my way works, maybe not. That’s ok. Everyone has different methods. The important thing is that you take action today. Or you can play with your balls…

Call today for your free 30 minute asset protection consultation. Until next week, live well.