Where Have You Been?

It's been said that you can never know where you're going until you truly know where you've been. Unfortunately, many of us are so focused on moving forward and setting new goals, that we forget to take the time to assess where we've been. Assessment is a critical part of any goal-setting plan. Taking the time to figure out which goals you've accomplished, which goals you've failed to accomplish, and which ones you totally forgot about or took no action on at all, is crucial.

When you examine the goals that you haven't accomplished it can give you an excellent indication of what your weaknesses are and where you may be tripping up on the road to achieving your dreams. If, for example, you look at your failed goals and realize they were all too aggressive for the amount of time you had to dedicate to them, then perhaps you can re-adjust the way you set your goals or find more time to work on them. If you look at what you HAVE accomplished and notice a common thread among all of those goals, it may give you a better indication of where your strengths lie and what your objectives should be.

So I challenge you this week to make an extensive evaluation of 2010. Make a list of all of the things that you've accomplished. Now make a list of all of the things that you haven't accomplished but planned to. What do the items in each list have in common? What can you learn about yourself but examining both lists?

Once you've completed an honest and thorough self assessment, you will be ready for the next step in the process which we'll tackle next week or perhaps a few weeks after that, how to take your assessment and use it to create a powerful self-growth plan for 2011.

Good luck!