Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. – Albert Einstein
How often we expect different results while doing the same old things?
You need to change your actions if you want different results.
This is what I did in 2011:
- Read too much stuff
- Spent lots of my time on learning new things
- Said yes to too many opportunities
- Changed my business practices very rapidly
- Tried lots of new tools
- Never followed own created rules
- Procrastinated a lot
- Took time to decide many things
- Spent too much time on social media
- Started too many things at once
Still I believe that I can’t be where I am now without trying most of the above mentioned things. I also believe there is no such thing called failure in life it’s all about feedback.
Here is how I planned to make this year different than the last:
- Reading time will be limited to keep myself up to date with the changes only
- Focus will be becoming the best on the things I know already
- I have learned how to say “No” and will not commit to anything where I can’t do the justice
- No more instant changes to the business operation except required by external factors
- I have tried and tested most of the tools, will stick to the best one’s only and will master those tools to the perfection
- Will find an accountability partner and follow all the rules of business
- No more working out of office hours (Procrastination killer)
- Not more than 2 minutes to decide anything
- No more 30 minutes a day on social networks
- Will not move to another task until current task is completed and shipped
Your Turn
What are your plans to do things differently in this year?
Share your thoughts in the box below.
Photo credit: Nina Matthews Photography
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Hi Rana,
Your list sounds very similar to mine, with some differences of course.
My absolute resolution is to figure out a goal before spending dozens or even hundreds of hours working on a project. I spent way too much time circling around a goal, instead of going straight toward it last year.
Thank you Peter for sharing your goal. I think clarifying your end goal and time frame by when you want to achieve certain goal is like you have already won the half of the battle 🙂
Always great to reflect Rana! Thanks for sharing. I wrote a similar post on my blog earlier this year.
What are your challenges for 2012? Here are mine:
1. What’s Next For Evolving Solutions? As a business owner, you are always thinking about ways to improve your offer.
2. Continue to FOCUS on my health – Been one of my top priorities every year. Will continue to be.
3. Read…More – A great way to be influenced by some of the greatest people in the world.
Thank you Chris for sharing your clear and very focus goals. I think I missed to list down health goals which must be in the list every year. 🙂
Wish you all the best for 2012.
No doubt about your findings, almost everyone is circled with that kind of stuff……
What i have planned for this Year:
1. Simply say NO if you can’t do anything or don’t have time to do.
2. Managing the time according to work, plan the hour, do the work and go to NEXT.
3. No Social Media While working on a Project (just in case if something important to share)4. Missed many thing in g+ will try to cover it up5. Trying to reduce working hours and for this need to control on internet and just project related internet search… not more than that6. Proper time for family so i can manage both work and home
I am sure after doing all this I will balance my life to get Success what i have planned for 2012…..
Great list of Goals Ijaz.
You don’t have to do difficult things to be successful in most things in life instead often you need to do simple things with extra ordinary commitment on a longer periods.
I assure you success if you follow this list with extra ordinary commitment on a consistent basis.
This is a very great list, Rana. It’s been said that a goal is a dream with a deadline – and part of my grand plan for this year is to really drill down and break my larger aspirations into smaller more manageable goals.
Chuck it down with exact time limitation. My favorite strategy.
Clarity of goal and time frame is the key to success. Wish you all the best Jason.
“A goal is a dream with a deadline” was coined by Napoleon Hill (I believe), but there is an INCREDIBLE business book by the same name, by Jacques Horovitz – highly recommended 🙂
Ooooh… great post 🙂
I made one big change, but it applies to every area of my life (ie: all of the above list), and I find it to be ridiculously powerful.
That change is:
I focus on my root thoughts regarding anything I intend to do, feel, think or create … FIRST and FOREMOST … before any action, and act ONLY WHEN COMPELLED and INSPIRED.
So… yeah… it’s the most powerful change I’ve ever made in my life, and success just keeps unfolding while I relax easily into it 🙂
Congrats Jason for finding the best state of mind.
Look forward to read your compelled and inspired posts.
Wonderful list and thanks for sharing.
Few things I did towards the end of 2011, and wish to continue in this year:
1: Live without goals or plans. Live in the moment. Focus on now.
2: Make decisions based off facts and not emotions, especially negative emotions.
3. Being content with what I have
4. Being with my family and friends who I consider family.
5. Read. Write. Deliver.
Thank you Paul for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
There is nothing better than “Living in the moment”.
Getting worried about the future is one of the biggest reason of stress.
You all 5 points are really spot on for a wonderful life.
For me, last year was a time of caution, but this year will be a time for daring. Like Thoreau, I want to live deliberately. I, too, want to “live deep and suck out all the marrow of life”.
If I hold myself accountable to this philosophy in whatever decisions I make this year, I will have succeeded. I will have lived.
Thank you for sharing your Passion Jeanne, wish you all the best for 2012 🙂
My goal for 2012:
Don’t be afraid of success.
I know its sounds odd, but there is a part of me, in my core, that is afraid to succeed. I think it has to do with the unknown. If I make it this year, what about next year? If this product or service succeeds, what about the next one. It is a debilitating feeling. Wanting to move forward and succeed and not making the move out of fear.
2012, not gonna fear!
Very important point Alan. I think many people stay behind in life due to limiting belief.
If you have overcome this fear, no one can stop you. All the best 🙂
I intend to spend half the amount of time I currently spend on social media.
I intend to attend more networking events in my area.
I intend to focus on enjoying working from home and being a business owner, and put the employee minset behind me.
I intend to work outside as much as I can as weather permits, whether it’s on my deck or at outside seating at a local coffee shop or eatery.
Nice list to follow Karen 🙂
In 2012 I’m playing only the games I either want to play or feel I have great odds of winning.
And I’m not doing anything backwards – even if that’s what the client seems to want. Sideways sometime – but never backwards!
Great strategy Denise. It’s hard but worth it. I wish you all the best.
Rana, your issues from last year are remarkably similar to mine. Things I need to do better / less this year include
– stay off my personal FB profile until the evening
– log my billable hours as I complete them
– pick up the phone and talk to customers as fixes morph into enhancements
– estimate projects at double what I did last year… Trust me, they took twice as long!
Great post – thanks!
Good to know that I am not alone Abigail 🙂 Best of luck for the 2012:)
You are so right – reading to stay on top of industry news and social networks are major time killers for me. I’ve decided to catch up on my reading at the end of the business day and spend less time on social networks. Good post – got me thinking on how I can get different results this year.
Thank you Gazalla for taking time and time comment.
I have also decided to check news and read after the close of business. It is working good so far 🙂
Great Post Rana… I started executing my plan the 2nd day of the new year… 100 Insurance Questions Answered in 100 Days video series… Basically jump starting the SEO heart of my business blog…
Thanks!
Excellent list, Rana. I gotta say, though… “No more than 30 minutes per day on social networks”. Really? That would be soooooo impossible for me. One hour would already be a stretch objective, but I hear ya!
I also wrote down a list of 2012 goals (I prefer to call them that way versus “resolutions”). And at least once a week, I go back to the list to make sure I don’t lose track of these targets because you and I know it: in a blink of an eye, summer vacations will be around, and we’ll be preparing for Halloween yet again 😉
Thank you Frederic for your sharing your thoughts and you are absolutely right that checking this list once a week is so important to stay on track.
Otherwise social media tools have the potential to keep you busy all year 🙂
How often we expect different results while doing the same old things?
And I’m not doing anything backwards – even if that’s what the client seems to want. Sideways sometime – but never backwards!
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Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. – Albert Einstein
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Sometimes you find it quite hard to locate yourself under all those piles of information. It is like, every day is a new beginning for a new and exciting project and before you know it, you haven’t actually done anything but brainstormed. I agree that we must be stricter with ourselves and a lot more organized. Actually what I’ve decided to do is to focus on my needs directly, and when I fulfill them, then should I be able to focus on new stuff and knowledge.