The week before the new year brings a lot of feelings, emotions and ideas. What lies ahead this year? What did I do this year that was stupid? What did I do this year that was great? You look back and think about your accomplishments and your downfalls. What have you learned? What can you do better this upcoming year?
There are a lot of goals and ideas that one can jot down but how many of them actually are applied throughout the whole year? The best thing you can do is to go into January with one bigger goal of what you want to accomplish. Better yet, WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH. Think one large goal with lots of smaller, short term goals underneath. Usually people make huge, long term goals and lots of them. Lots of big goals usually amount to hindered accomplishment of them.
People change, things change and over the year your short term goals will change. The really big goal might morph but the overarching mission will remain constant. The smaller goals underneath it are ever changing and being accomplished to help you get closer to the bigger goal.
Life is full of constant restructuring. Why not evaluate all the time then only allow for goal setting to happen once a year?
Think big and dream big is cliché, I know. But from what I have learned from startups and about startups this year, it is all about big goals. Goals that will change the world and the way we see or do things today. You have to have a big enough goal that you can work hard and work fast towards.
Ask yourself what you really care about? Are you doing it and how can you do it better and on a bigger scale? What is your big goal for your startup for 2011? What do I mean? Example) Change the way the world does x, y or z…. the key is understanding what you are trying to change or make better in this world. Make that goal overarching and all the other smaller goals should get you closer to achieving it. The way I think of it is like a bridge. You have this overarching goal (the Golden Gate Bridge of Goals) and there are smaller steps in between that will get you closer to reaching it.
Your new years resolution should take on the form of a mission statement. Underneath all mission statements are other smaller goals and milestones. Think more like a company. Start with these simple words: My mission this year is….
It will probably go hand in hand with what you are working on at your startup. If you are an entrepreneur I bet that your personal mission and your company’s mission are almost the same or are in fact the same.
Let us know what your mission is because we would like to share them here to inspire one another.
