Make 2005 a Great Year

It’s not uncommon for a great idea to start as a nagging question. You may be plagued with little questions such as, “Why can’t I?” … “I’d like to?” … “Wouldn’t it be great if? … But during our busy rush from project to project, client to client, bill to bill, those questions tend to take a back burner where they continue to simmer but never reach a boil. Unattended, those ideas and dreams never quite make it off the back burner. Those questions need to be brought to the forefront, addressed and acted upon. As many resume writers and career professionals have embraced during the last 3+ years, the strategy of career and life coaching is brimming with the “right” questions that develop ideas, create action and accountability, and lead to a strategic plan for results.

So, what can you do to make 2005 a great year, or maybe even your best year yet? Take advantage of a wonderful web-based planning tool from Jinny S. Ditzler, author of “Your Best Year Yet! Ten Questions for Making the Next Twelve Months Your Most Successful Ever” and creator of the “Your Best Year Yet!” website and coach certification program.

I worked through the book and found the questions and action plans a terrific way to rework my life, career and overall balance. But, a recent web search led me to www.bestyearyet.com where I stumbled upon the fact that Ms. Ditzler offers the opportunity to visitors to work through the 10-question plan across a three month time frame online for FREE. I signed up to take a peak and found that the program is better than the book with audio / video, samples, and account saving features. Want more support and stimuli? There are low-cost teleclass programs for synergistic group growth, regional workshops and more.

The web-based tool alone with its incredible free price tag makes it an excellent resource for both your personal growth as well as that of your clients.

So what kind of questions can lead to your best year yet? Here are Ditzler’s 10:

Q1: What did I accomplish in 2004?
Q2: What were my biggest disappointments in 2004?
Q3: What did I learn in 2004?
Q4: How do I limit myself?
Q5: What are my personal values?
Q6: What roles do I play in my life?
Q7: What role is my major focus for 2005? This will be an area that is out of balance or where you want to excel.
Q8: What are my goals for each role?
Q9: What are my top ten goals for 2005?
Q10: How can I make sure I achieve them?

The first step is to take the first step. Put aside 30 minutes to visit www.bestyearyet.com, and get the ball rolling. Ultimately, the exercises and their sub-steps (questions) will take about 3-4 hours to complete, but are well worth it if they lead to “your best year yet!”

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Adapted from PRWRA newsletter.