New Year’s Resolutions

Around the turn of the year it’s always good to look back on the past year.

But this is an interesting quote:

“Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!” – Tony Robbins.

So do you remember 2007? That‘s 10 years ago (and yes I know, it sounds like 3 years ago, but that’s another story).

Let’s go back to 2007!

Now ask yourself:

• Where did you live?
• What were you like?
• Who were your friends?
• Did you have horses?
• What was your knowledge about horses?
• How capable were you as a rider?
• What were your hopes and dreams as a rider?

If someone had asked you in 2007:” Where will you be in 10 years?” What would you have told them? Are you today where you wanted to be back then?

What about 2027?

Also 10 years from now, in 2027, you will arrive and the question is: Where? What rider will you have become? How will you live with your family and horses? What will you contribute?

Perhaps now is the time to design the next 10 years of your life, not once they are over.

So before 2016 starts, we could ask ourselves the following questions:

• How am I going to live the next 10 years of my live?
• What will you miss out on in your life if you don’t change?
• What will it cost me (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually) if I don’t chance?
• What can I accomplish, if I change, grow and expand my knowledge and experience?
• How will that make me feel about myself?
• What actions can I take today, tomorrow and the days after to get were I want to be in 10 years?
• What can I do:
  • to improve my health?
  • to expand my knowledge?
  • to come into balance (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually)?
  • to improve my rider skills?
  • to be a better friend/partner/coach to my horse?
  • to be more successful in riding?
  • to be happier?
  • to be able to help others?
  • to make a difference in 10 years?

Let’s design 2017!

With this vision in mind you could make realistic New Year’s resolutions and keep them up throughout the new year and the upcoming years.

This is how I do it:

Step 1: Do the Wheel of Mastery

First I use the Wheel of Mastery to define the areas I want to improve in (go HERE for the Wheel of Mastery).

I make two wheels, one for my private life and one for my business.

So in this step:

• I define the areas
• I have a close look how the balance is in each area

Step 2: Define the Final Outcomes (What & Why)

Then I decide WHAT my I want for a final outcome in all areas at the end of the year and more important: WHY I want them.

Because the WHY gives me strong reasons to truly commit to the outcomes.

So in this step:

• I make an ultimate vision for each area in the wheel
• I define the purpose why I want to realize this vision

Step 3: Make a Plan to Get to the Outcomes (How & When)

And then I make a plan on HOW to get there. I decide what the actions are that leads to the final outcome and WHEN I start doing them.

• So with the ulitimate vision in mind, I decide what the goal of this year is in a certain area.
• From there I define what needs to be done in the first quarter of the year (Q1).
• Then what needs to be done this month.
• And finally what needs to be done this week at what specific day.

This way you don’t end up with never-ending to-do lists which have no connection to whatever bigger picture at all. Because now you know that all the actions you do are connected to your ultimate vision! How cools is that!

Step 4: Use a DUMP – TO DO – DOING – DONE Board

When I know the Bigger picture, I put 4 columns on a board:

DUMP – TO DO – DOING – DONE.

All the actions that will lead to my outcome I put on little stickies.

• All stickies go in the DUMP area first.
• Then the few I will address in the first month (January) or quarter (Q1) of the year will move to TO DO. Than during the year all stickies will move from the DUMP area, to the TO DO area when a month or new quarter of the year starts (Q1,2,3,4) in which I want to really start working on it.
• A sticky moves to the DOING area when I start DOING them on a certain specific day.
• And when they are completed they move to the  DONE area !

So with the board I can DECIDE what TO DO, and when I start DOING them, they will be DONE at the end of the year.

This keeps you on track along the year, and this way you always have an overview of what needs to be done to reach your outcomes!

This is a picture of my board for my business in December:

• In the DUMP area is already getting visible what I want to address in the new year.
• The TO DO area of December is almost empty.
• The DOING part has still a few stickies.
• Most stickies are in the DONE area, so that’s fulfilling  .

I hope this inspires you to set your resolutions and to really start acting on it!

Good luck with your board and I wish you a Happy New Year!