* This post was featured on Intent.com.
Happy New Year!
Here’s to a wonderful year filled with love, abundance and many more top 1% moments for all!
You’re motivated…
You’re excited…
You’re ready to have a great 2013!
Now what? How do you get there? What would a “great” year mean to you?
For those who are open to investing in themselves and doing the work, here’s an empowering and helpful exercise to get you started. This is when you want to think big rather than settle. If you settle when you dream, you will settle in your life. Have the courage to believe in yourself!
A few key things to know before you jump in:
– Any starting place is a good one (whether you had the best year or the most challenging one, just start)
– Leave the shoulds behind. Forget about what society and your friends think you should do with your life and pursue only what speaks to you on an authentic and heart based level
– It’s not a competition. You are striving for YOUR personal Top 1% (and this will mean something different to every mom, CEO, entrepreneur, professional athlete, and college student).
– Align your goals with your values to stay motivated. Your motivation will ebb and flow on your journey, that’s perfectly normal. You have the greatest chance of success when you connect your goals and values.
– Realize that “success” is a process. Oprah, Richard Branson, and Roger Federer didn’t start at the top, they worked very hard and built a team to be where they are today. Starbucks started with one store and now they have over 15,000 locations. Enjoy the process.
– And most importantly, leave the negative self-talk behind. Yes, we all have it, but your work is in minimizing the interference factor so you can let your potential walk through the door.
Give yourself 15 minutes to write out the questions below.
1. Define success? What will a successful year mean to you? Is it about connecting with people, inspiring people, making a certain amount of money, reading to your kids every night, changing jobs to do what you enjoy, or believing in yourself?
2.Write down three or more wins for 2012 that you felt good about accomplishing (ex: writing your first blog, taking a photography class and showing your work, launching a new product, completing a half-marathon, buying your first home)
3. Write down 3 core values (ex: respect, learning, honesty, adventure)
4. Write down three of your strengths (ex: positive outlook, determined, humor)
5. Write down three areas of your life/business that you would like to improve or focus on (ex, health, career, finances, relationships, fun/creativity, personal growth, marketing, business development)
6. Write down at least two goals in each area, be as specific as you can, when will you complete the goal, does it speak to your heart, why is it important?
7. Put a star next to the three goals that truly speak to your heart
8. Focus on one goal at a time and write down three small steps you can take today/this week to start the process rolling (perhaps it’s signing up for a class, calling someone to get more information, registering a domain name etc.)
9. Repeat the process for each area of your life/business with each goal
These are essential exercises to get your creative juices flowing and open to new possibilities. Please share your thoughts or one of your goals in the comments section. It’s empowering to share!
Here’s to a “top 1%” 2013. Wishing you all the best, Alissa
For those who want to dive in deeper with one to one coaching, email top1@alissafinerman.com.
About Alissa
Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dress for Success. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook
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