Great Starts for 2008 - Your Map to Success

A study was done several years ago with college graduates just preparing to enter the work world. 3% of them had written their goals out; 10% had goals in mind only; the remaining 87% had no goals at all. Several years later, the 3% who had written goals were 10 times as successful as both the other groups. The 10% with goals, but only in mind, were just 2 times as successful as that largest group who had no goals at all.
The obvious lesson here? Write your goals down.

Whatever tools you choose to plot out your success this year, be sure to write it down somewhere in whatever form most appeals to you. A plain and simple Word document, Excel spreadsheet, a colorful Mind Map, a yellow tablet, or a Vision board will all do the trick – get your ideas out of your head and onto something you can review regularly. In fact, looking at your goals first thing in the morning and again last thing at night feeds your subconscious mind exactly what you want it to work on behind the scenes. That GPS in your head will surely get you where you want to be with a clearly defined, visual map.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.”

This week, get clear and fine tune your 2008 plans and get them out of your head and onto a piece of paper or computer screen. Review them regularly, adjust when necessary, and watch for a Great 2008. It’s that simple!