Year-End is Time for Vision Making
Each year, a few days before New Year’s Eve, I head off to my mountain retreat in Big Bear Lake, California, to recharge my batteries. It’s a great opportunity to spend time with the family and prepare for the onslaught of the coming year.
It’s also a good time to give some thought to the vision you have for your business and life over the next year.
It’s hard to hit a target you’re not aiming at. The new year is a great time to think about some of your plans and goals for the next 12 months (and beyond). Even if all you have is a couple days, take the time at the end of every year to slow down and do some “vision making” for your business. Remember that a successful businessperson needs to work “on” the business as well as “in” the business. Work “on” your business this month by creating your vision for 2012.
This is what I did back in the mid 1980’s when I had some time to reflect on this little networking enterprise that I started, called BNI. It was during one of these year-end retreats that I created an organization chart for my company as part of my 5 year plan. At the time, I had two part-time employees. However, I created an organization chart with 15 different boxes on it. I put my name in about 11 or 12 of the boxes for the areas I was responsible for and I put my part-timer’s names in the boxes for the areas they were responsible for.
Over the next 5 years, I scratched my name out of each box and put someone else’s name in that box as I hired someone to handle that area. It was a great exercise that helped me achieve my goals over the next 5 years and it came from one of my year-end retreats. Clearing your mind and thinking about your the future of your business can be a very good thing this time of year. Even if you only have a couple days – get away and do some vision making.
If you use this time of year to think about your goals for the future, tell me what you do here in my blog.
Have a great New Year!
Ivan
Yes, taking time out from the business to work on the business is important – and this time of year is ideal.
It is something I did myself recently: http://www.taxhelp.uk.com/dedication/
It is a perfect time for goal setting! Particularly if this time of year is slow for your industry.
I found myself working on both personal and professional goals a few weeks ago, and have committed to revisiting them this week in order to ensure they are the goals I want and need to be focused on.
Hello Dr Misner
I have just gone through the same excercise and cut my goals right down from about 15 of last year to 5 for 2012. Although the number of goals have reduced, their value and the impact they will have in achieving them will be huge for my business and family.
I have studied the books that will assist me on this journey in 2012 and as a Chapter Director and Assistant Director in BNI in Kent, England, I also have a forum within which I can achieve these goals.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment!
Kind regards
John Murray
CD BNI Ashford M20
Assistant Director (Kent)
Dear Ivan
I spend every year end reviewing and celebrating the great accomplishments both from a personal and business side. I review this month by month. The key is to write this down in a journal. I also consider what I could have improved upon or that I missed doing, after that I’m really ready to plan the next year.
For 2012 I’m really concentrating on implementing 3+1 across India. Building and training teams to effectively start chapters, fill chapters, retain members & tell great success stories.
Kind Regards
Niiraj R Shah
National Director,
BNI india
Took a plane on Christmas Eve from Sacramento to St. Louis. Woman boardered the planewho had “Business Networking and Sex” Didn’t know of BNI nor you but picked it up at the airport bookstore “because it caught her eye”
Thanks Al. I’m glad to hear the book is out there early. The official release is next week.
Ivan
Hi Ivan,
This was a very nice read.
Thanks