What Can You Accomplish in a Year?

Do you have an idea to explore or a desire to do something but still find yourself procrastinating?

Then we challenge you to not only consider what you can accomplish in a year but actually take steps today to start on your way.

There will be moments you think you'll never figure things out and moments when you're so proud you did something right.

We really want you to consider what a year of personal growth would look like, and we hope to inspire you to achieve it.

What Can You Accomplish in a Year?

What have you been dreaming of doing? And how does that look? How will its achievement make you feel?

You know to achieve that dream, you'll be required to learn, develop, adapt, and transform, right?

In other words, it requires work to become a better version of yourself.

Because let’s face it, you can't expect a dream outcome if you aren't willing to become a better you.

What got you here won't get you there. ~ Marshall Goldsmith

Author, Marshall Goldsmith, believes the factors that brought you success and results in the past, are not enough to help you get to the next level.

Further growth requires new knowledge, skills, strategies, resources, plans, etc. Possibly even new motivations or mindsets.

Where to begin?

Here are a few questions and thoughts to help spark you toward a year of growth or change.

1) I want to ___________________________?

Start or become a better human being, writer, blogger, manager, coach, entrepreneur, marketer, leader, parent, financial expert, or whatever is specific to you.

Describe your answer vividly. Include things like:

• what's your mission, values, and purpose – what matters, what do you stand for, what problem will you solve

• what it will mean for you – why you do what you do

• who you will work with – partners, collaborators, team, other professionals

• who you will work for – individuals, businesses, youth, seniors, teams

• what services or products you will offer and how – physical, virtual, solutions-based

• where you will work – location(s) and environment

2) What's standing in my way now __________________ ?

Is it you? Are you still searching for confidence?

Think long and hard about why you aren’t where you want to be.

3) What needs to happen for me to accomplish _________________ this year?

Consider the following:

• What you are willing to invest – time, money, effort
• What tools should you add to your existing toolbox

• How you can identify and learn the necessary information
• Where and how you will accumulate your new knowledge

• What new skills you need to learn
• How you will increase your proficiency level on current skills

• If you will work alone or find a partner or team
• If you will hire assistance, and how you will find the right people for the right job

• What mindset is essential to your success
• What existing bad habits you need to remove, and what new practices you will adopt

• The systems you need to generate the results you desire. Can you change or improve any existing ones?
• What additional resources you will need

• Where you'll find support
• If you need a mentor or coach

4) What do I need to change?

Do you need to eliminate things that are currently draining you?

How can you reduce or remove those things from your life that are consuming your time, energy, and resources better spent on your goal?

Perhaps you can delegate, outsource or just get rid of duties, chores, or distractions that aren't moving you forward.

What needs to change for you to accomplish your goal(s) this year?

5) What will I do today?

What small step or steps can you do today to start?

• Find motivation
• Write 100 words
• Hire a coach
• Ditch your middle-class mindset
• Start a winning $25k blog
• Get your partner on board

It's Tough

Like with any life change, business, career move, or adventure, things can go right, or they go wrong.

We tend to think we know more, have more, and can initially accomplish more than we do or can.

It's just human nature. So we dive into things headfirst and wait too long to come up for air. Which often leads to exhaustion and burnout.

The Small Business Administration says 30% of new businesses fail during the initial two years of being open, 50% during the first five years, and 66% during the first 10.

(Many failures are a result of poor financial management – check out these 10 Finance Tips for Small Business.)

Things will go wrong.

• You'll spend too much money or not enough
• You'll miss a deadline (self-imposed and assigned)
• Someone will tell you no (or yes)

• Social media will interfere
• You'll question your niche, categories, topics, etc.
• Free services you use will start charging

• Someone will steal or copy your content, ideas, or products
• You won't find your voice or tribe
• You'll compare yourself to others

• You'll get addicted to page views or sales or another vanity metric
• And then they may all fall before they go up again
• Things will break or get lost

• You'll lose time, energy, money, and followers
• Friends, fans, or customers may disappear

• Your partner or family may feel neglected
• You'll get burnout

This isn't an exhaustive list, but you get the idea, shit happens.

But you can get over it, recover and move on. Or at least you will if you want to be successful.

It's okay if you don't, though. Maybe what you've chosen isn't right for you. If that's the case, just stop.

Don't waste your time trying to mold yourself into something that doesn't feel right. There is no sense in spending time or money on things that don't elicit good emotions.

Quitting is okay.

Do What You Love

Do you enjoy the challenge of it? Love learning new things and building skills? Are you having fun making connections and building relationships?

Spend time on things that pay off. Because things (mostly) happen for a reason and all of our experiences shape us to be who we are today.

Plus, we can control (mostly) what happens to us tomorrow.

So get started today on that thing that's important to you!

Adapted from this post originally appearing on LifeZemplified