Planning Ahead: Key Questions for 2012

It’s hard to believe, but it’s almost New Year’s! The year
has flown by once again. And while you may be waiting for New Year’s Eve to
write out your resolutions, it’s not too early to start thinking about 2012,
and what you want to happen.

Life coaching and executive coaching are about first dreaming
and then doing. Think of these last weeks of the year as your dreaming time.
Your dreams, hopes, and intentions are the sparks that ignite your future plans
both personally and professionally, so nothing is more important.

To help you plan ahead, I have some questions to share with
you that I like to ask my life coach clients. Take some time in this last month
of 2011 to ask yourself these key questions. They will help create a structure
to guide your life and work in 2012:

What do you want to
add to your life in the coming year? What do you want to discard? Though
you may feel that January 1^st is just another day, the New Year
creates a perfect time to reinvent yourself. As you think back over your past
year, identify what worked well (let’s call these your “Dids”) and what you’d
like to change (these are your “Duds”). It can help to write your thoughts
down—make a list of successes, as well as things that didn’t go as planned.

The list that you compile contains valuable information for
2012. In life coaching, our mission is to build on your “Dids” and learn from
your “Duds.” Look at your “Dids” list first. What worked well for you in 2011,
how can you keep the momentum going? Are there things you need to add to your
life, whether by reaching out to key people, figuring out new processes, or
investing in upgraded tools?

Now look at your list of 2011 “Duds.” Although it may be
painful to remind yourself about things that didn’t work out, the challenges
that you faced and goals you didn’t reach can serve as a bellwether pointing
you toward what you need to do next. “Duds” should lead to “discards.” Think
about what you can eliminate from your life going forward in 2012 to ensure
that your “Duds” list is shorter next year.

How do you feel about
your current priorities? Does anything need readjusting? Let’s build on the
work you’ve done above. Make a list of the priorities that you’ve been focusing
on this past year, both personally and professionally. Now that you have a
clear visual of what worked well for you in 2011, do any of your priorities
need fine-tuning?

Perhaps you reached some of the goals that you had been
working toward, and need a fresh vision. Or maybe you discovered that something
you thought was vital to your success isn’t really for you. Create a clear list
of updated priorities that can take you confidently into 2012.

By this time next
year, what do you want to have accomplished? Next, let’s use a “visioning”
process to help uncover what you really want in the New Year. Imagine yourself
a year from now, with 2012 almost over. In the best-case scenario, what is
happening in your career and relationships? Where do you hope to be
financially?

Then think through the steps you will need to take in 2012
to reach each of your goals. Be very specific about what you’ll need to do, and
when. By being clear on what you want to accomplish over the next year, you’ll
be in a much better position to prepare to make it happen.