Goal setting is a way of life for me. I am a firm believer in not only planning ahead, but also in writing it down so it is real and actionable.  I recently had a conversation with a colleague about setting goals for the New Year, and he responded, “I don’t write down goals, they are in my head.” Does this sound like you? I can’t tell you how many people I talk to that have this approach – keep it in my head and it will happen. Setting and writing goals needs to become a habit; but most people never form this habit and limit their success.  Change takes a willingness to embrace the unknown in exchange for attaining a higher level of success. So change your habits and write down those goals.

For 2012, I am not only writing this year’s goals, I am also thinking about my BHAGs – Big Hairy Audacious Goals! These are the long term goals that I strive for – and usually write them down every few years.

I first starting writing BHAGs in the early 1990s. But what is more telling is how they’ve shaped my life and career and what’s happened because of them. My story of how I started my business is because of a BHAG. And there are other BHAGs in my past as well that have come to reality. Read More »