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To Go Forward, Look Back

I got back on Sunday evening from Las Vegas where I attended Ali Brown‘s SHINE conference. I went with specific goals in mind and certainly made headway on them.

One of my goals was to start to create a plan for 2010. Before I can do that, though, I need to take a look at where I am now and how I got there. One of my favorite resources for this is Your Best Year Yet by Jinny S. Ditzler.  I’ve been using this little book for years. It offers a framework to define your personal values, identify the various roles you play and create goals for those roles. Here are some of Jinny’s questions plus a couple of my own:

  1. What did I accomplish?
  2. What were my biggest disappointments?
  3. What did I learn?
  4. How do I limit myself and how can I stop?
  5. What are my goals for next year?
  6. Where do I need to education or support to get there?
  7. How can I make sure I achieve my top goals?

I find one of the most empowering aspects of Jinny’s system is the look at the successes of the year. It let’s you focus on my successes not get weighed down by what didn’t work. It also lets you get off the treadmill of working on my business to see if you really are on course.

So take some time this week to start planning for 2010 by looking back at 2009. Ask and answer these questions. Let me know how this system works for you.

“We must prepare our soil before we’re ready to plant the seeds we want to grow in the new year.”
Jinny S. Ditzler

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One Response to “To Go Forward, Look Back”


  1. Professional Quilter » Blog Archive » 3.5 Tips to Start the New Year said:

    […] We are about to start a New Year. I’m excited about some of the things I have planned. I’m working with a coach to expand the business, and I have some new business programs planned for later in the year. As I look ahead, I can see that I have a lot to accomplish, and I need to stay focused to do that. A lot of you know one of my favorite planning resources is Your Best Year Yet by Jinny Ditzler, and following her process helps me focus. You can read some of the questions she asks on a previous blog post. […]

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