How to Realise Your Potential In 2008

The christmas holiday season is a time when people reflect and make plans for the coming year.   Many folks make resolutions, the vast majority of which fall by the wayside within weeks.  Are you ready to realise your potential in 2008 or will it be another year of hopes, dreams and no results?  Fortunately there are simple steps which, if followed, can help you to realise your potential in 2008.

1.                  Get clear

Before you can realise your potential, you need to be crystal clear on what that means for you.  Is it:

• More business success

• A promotion at work

• Regular exercise

• Healthier eating

• Better life/work balance

• More family time

Write down a paragraph or two that clearly encapsulates what will have happened if you realised your potential in 2008.

2.                  Take control

You determine your destiny and what you achieve.  You have choice.  Are you going to allow others to determine what you achieve or are you going to take control and shape your direction?

3.                  Take responsibility

Unless you take full responsibility for getting results, chances are that you will fall short of your potential.  How ready are you to take responsibility?

4.                  Challenge your beliefs

We all make up things.  You know the type of thing.  I am no good at ……(fill in the blank).  We also have had others help us collect some labels along the way.   If we allow these beliefs to run us (especially those that limit us), we can end up completely stuck.  Every time you come up with a negative thought, ask yourself whether it is true, beyond doubt.  If it is not, chose there and then whether you are going to allow it to get in the way of you realising your potential.

5.                  Set SMART goals

Goals that are SMART are:

• Specific and clear

• Capable of being measured

• Achievable and realistic

• Time limited

An example of a SMART goal would be “To be earning 5,000 dollars more per annum by 31 December 2008” 

The goal is clear, can be measured, is achievable, realistic and has a time limit for when you want to achieve it.

6.                  Aim high

When setting out what you want to achieve, make sure you aim high rather than aim low.  If you aim high and get 80% of the way towards it, chances are you will have achieved much more than you would have otherwise.

7.                  Invest in yourself

Lifelong learning might be considered a bit of a buzz word.  Yet in truth, if you are going to realise your potential, you need to be willing to invest in developing yourself.  The great news is that you can get your hands on lots of stuff or go to seminars that are free or very low cost if you are willing to dig a little.

8.                  Set up accountability

If you want to greatly enhance your chances of success, get some accountability in place.   The truth is that you achieve much more when you have to self account for the progress you have made and results achieved.  It has been suggested that you have a 95% chance of succeeding when you have accountability.

So what will 2008 be for you?  Another year of plodding along or the year in which you really start to realise your potential?