Some of us have not yet set goals or developed projects for 2008, possibly because we have not accomplished those for 2007 yet. This is the case for me this year. I’m not sure whether it is because I am not as motivated as I should be or because I had higher expectations than I should have. What I usually do is have a list of projects that I want to complete, not necessarily for the year but just ones I want to do. It is a list that keeps growing all the time. It should grow all the time. If you are not coming up with ideas and projects and at a faster rate than you are accomplishing those ideas and projects, you are not thinking enough. When I complete one of these projects I put it under the list of “projects completed 2007” or whatever the year we are in. That way I can keep track and if some goals are more important than others, I can give priority to newer ones that may jump ahead. Each year I go over my list and make adjustments. Some may be dropped from the list altogether because they no longer seem like the good idea they once were. With the advent of the internet my direct mail marketing ideas were no longer cost effective. I am not suggesting that you don’t sit down and brainstorm ideas and goals at the beginning of the New Year. You most assuredly should do that. But you should also be doing it all year long and also be open to new ideas that occur during the year.
So what are your goals? More important where are the projects you are going to put into action to achieve those goals. Want more new practice members? Want better-educated practice members? Want a larger volume of people per week? And what are you going to do to achieve those goals? If you don’t know at this point, we have some ideas as well as some tools to help you get there. Check out our website. We believe that if you start using some of our ideas, tools and programs to improve your practice, that in a short time you will be developing some of your own, some that are probably better than ours! We’re not going to wish you good luck in the coming year because reaching your goals really is not a matter of luck. It’s about doing the right things, being consistent, and working hard and that’s a matter of your choice, your decision not luck. Meanwhile, I’m heading back to my list to make 2008 a successful year.