Step 1:  Plan time away from your “Regular” environment

I know it sounds crazy, but you need to plan to plan.  My advice is book some time away (at least 2 days) from your office and home.  Find a place that inspires you.  For me, the best place to plan is on a mountain top where I have a really clear vision.

I find that having a big and clear vision, helps me set big and clear goals.  Planning is not effective if you are trapped in a little room.  The energy won’t be right and you may not be able to tap into your creativity.  I would also advise that planning your year with your partner is also a great idea.  If you are in business with someone else, why not invite them and their partner to join you as well.

Step 2: Set 12 Month Goals

Become extremely clear on who you want to be in 12 months time. If you were to bump into yourself walking down the street, who would you meet?

This is a really important step to take and will help you determine the things you need to work.

Answer the following questions:-

• What type of energy is this person giving off?
• What has this person achieved in their personal life over the past 12 months?
• What has this person achieved in their career/business over the past 12 months

Remember – clarity leads to power so the clearer you are about the person you want to meet, the more chance you have of actually meeting that person!!!

Step 3: Work on your personal goals first

Take a fresh page (one page per item below), and work on planning for the following:-

• Holidays
• Romance
• Family
• Health
• Spiritual
• Social
• New things to try
• Education
• Environment

Step 4: The Yearly Planner

Take your personal goals and put them into a yearly planner.

In the video at the top of this page, you will see that I have summarised my personal goals at the top.  My next step is to plan them into the calendar.

Remember – if your personal goals are not scheduled, then you may never get around to them.

For example, imagine your goal is to complete in a triathlon in 2012.   Then it’s great to stop and find the event you want to compete it, then actually put the date into the calendar. You can then work backwards to work out what training you need to do.  The date you need to start, if you need to join a club etc.

Make sure you put your holidays into the calendar as well.

Step 5: Plan out your business or career goals

Ask this question:-

If there are just 5 things that I can achieve in the next 12 months, what are they?

Make sure you end up with 3 to 5 objectives.  Once you have these, make them SMART  goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound)

Step 6: Brainstorm

Place each objective onto a blank page (one per objective) and brainstorm.

Think about what you need to do to accomplish this goal.

Think of what you need to learn, who you need to meet, what resources you need and anything else you need to do.

Take your time with this.  Map out as many items as you can

Step 7: Clarify Objectives

Ask the question – ‘What do I need to have complete by the end of the first quarter (ie March 31st) to be on track with my 12 month plan’.  Again – be really clear with this and end up with 3 to 5 objectives.  Remember, less is more.

Step 8: Break It Down

Take these quarterly plan objectives and place them onto blank paper and break them down even further.  The more specific with the steps, the easier it will be to make it happen.  If you are unsure what to do, then think of the person you need to meet to ask, or the book you need to buy to learn etc.

Step 9: Put It All Together

Once you have all of your objectives and items broken down, its now time to put it all together.  The video I recorded on planning shows you how I do this.  You then need to allocate a time block next to each item AND who will help you complete the task and also a deadline for when it needs to be done.  You really want to end up with a 1 page quarterly planning document that summarises your personal goals and your business goals.

Step 10: Start allocating the tasks to your calendar

The goal is to map out every day for the next quarter.  In the video I show that I use a large hard copy planner, and I add all of my to actions to this planner.  This helps me become extremely proactive instead of reactive.  I believe that if the actions are not put into the calendar then there is a good chance they won’t be completed.

Step 11: Ask someone to review your plan with you

It’s great to get feedback.  Ask your partner, and if you run a business, ask your team for feedback.  Look for things that you may have missed.

Step 12: Implement Your 2012 Plan

Once you have finished planning, you now need to implement the plan.  By now, you will be extremely clear about what you need to do to achieve your objectives, and it’s all about doing what you said you will do.

Ask someone to keep you accountable!

I know the above sounds like a lot of work, but it’s actually really enjoyable.

Once your plan is complete, you will feel:

• More motivated
• In control
• More certain
• Focused
• That you’re operating from a proactive position instead of a reactive place

If you would like some extra assistance and training (also all of the templates you require), you can order my finish the year before it starts course for $197

Have a great year – and please let me know how you’re going with your planning in the comments below …